Under the commands of both Trainers, their Pokémon moved at the same time.
Pidgeot straightened its body midair as twin tornadoes began forming at its sides.
With a powerful flap of its wings, the two whirlwinds shot forward and quickly merged into one massive twister that spiraled toward the heavens.
Honchkrow, whose body was smaller and more compact, showed no fear at the sight of the oncoming storm. Shrouded in a white glow, it charged straight ahead.
The roaring wind gathered thick clouds overhead. Between the dark clouds and the battlefield below, Honchkrow streaked like a bolt of black lightning—flying with proud defiance.
For some reason, Silas suddenly recalled a line he'd once read:
"A black thunderbird soaring arrogantly between storm and sky."
In the blink of an eye, Honchkrow vanished into the heart of the twister.
"Pidgeot, get ready for Aerial Ace."
Watching the black blur disappear, Silas calmly issued his command.
He didn't expect Twister to stop Honchkrow's high-speed assault.
Even though the move was technically Dragon-type, Twister wasn't particularly strong and for a Pokémon that rushed in head-on, the actual damage would be minimal.
Its real purpose was to buy time.
With a sharp cry, Pidgeot's body began to glow white, just like Honchkrow's earlier. Maintaining the stance for Aerial Ace, its keen eyes scanned every corner of the swirling winds.
Suddenly, ripples—like those on water—appeared within the towering column of air.
Pidgeot instantly turned its gaze toward that point.
"It's a fake! Left side!"
At the same time, Silas shouted in urgency, snapping Pidgeot's attention back.
But it was already a second too late.
Honchkrow burst out from the twister, wings gleaming white with energy.
Compared to before, its condition had clearly deteriorated but its aura had become even fiercer.
Pidgeot, unwilling to yield, flared its wings and charged as well, white light trailing behind it.
The audience collectively held their breath, eyes fixed on the two streaks of light in the sky, waiting for the instant that would decide the victor.
To everyone's surprise, just as the two beams of light were about to collide, both Pokémon abruptly changed direction—their Aerial Ace strikes crossing paths without impact.
"What incredible—"
Before the commentator could finish praising their aerial maneuver, the situation shifted again.
Mirroring each other's movements perfectly, the two Pokémon curved around in twin arcs, facing each other head-on once more.
Determination burned in Pidgeot's eyes; ferocity gleamed in Honchkrow's.
"Piiiiiidgeot!"
"Honchkrow!"
Their sharp cries echoed like the sound of swords clashing—signaling that this next strike would be the true showdown.
The earlier exchanges had only been warm-ups.
At the blistering speeds of two Flying-type Pokémon, it took only the blink of an eye for the white streaks to collide.
They crossed again, and the white glow of Aerial Ace faded from both bodies.
Returning to their normal states, Pidgeot and Honchkrow flapped their wings, maintaining altitude as if two duelists standing tall after a sword clash.
But in every duel, there must be a victor.
"Honchkrow!"
With a final screech, Honchkrow's eyes swirled into spirals—it had fainted. Its body went limp and began falling toward the ground.
"Come back, Honchkrow!"
Sensing danger, Shizuo quickly raised his Poké Ball and recalled his Pokémon, preventing it from hitting the ground and suffering further injury.
The referee turned to him with a questioning look.
Shizuo slowly nodded.
"Honchkrow is unable to battle! Pidgeot wins!"
Without hesitation, the referee raised the flag representing Silas.
Thunderous cheers erupted throughout the stadium.
Normally, a Trainer would need to send out the Pokémon again to confirm its condition before a ruling could be made.
However, if the Trainer voluntarily acknowledges defeat, the match can be decided immediately without re-release.
According to League rules, if a Pokémon clearly appears unable to battle, the Trainer cannot recall it under the pretense of substitution. This is explicitly stated in the tournament regulations.
While referees have some discretion in such cases, few would dare to make an incorrect ruling under the eyes of so many spectators and none of the experienced officials here would risk a mistake.
Besides, none of them would dare to.
Watching his opponent's recall and hearing the referee declare his victory, Pidgeot, who had maintained a proud composure until now, finally relaxed.
Its breathing was heavy and uneven.
Had Honchkrow not been damaged by the earlier Dark Pulse explosion—
Had it not exhausted energy using Substitute to create a decoy within the Twister—
Had Pidgeot not narrowly avoided taking a critical hit—
The result could have easily been the opposite.
Thinking back over the series of razor-thin exchanges, Silas' expression didn't show even a hint of relief.
Seeing Pidgeot's condition, nearly spent, he knew how hard-fought this victory truly was and how much tougher the next battle would be.
"Contestant Shizuo, please send out your next Pokémon!"
The referee carried out his duty as usual.
But before the situation could settle, a new problem arose.
As the exhausted Pidgeot flew back toward its side of the field to await the next opponent, it suddenly seemed to hit something invisible and collapsed straight to the ground.
Shizuo's face, which had been rather stern after his loss in the second match, curled into a faint smile before quickly returning to normal.
Silas was caught completely off guard, staring in astonishment at what just happened.
Then realization dawned on him.
"Stealth Rock, huh…"
He muttered helplessly under his breath.
It seemed that his fatigued Pidgeot's senses had dulled too much to detect the change in its surroundings. The hidden Stealth Rock trap had been set so well that it was nearly impossible to notice—no wonder it got caught off guard.
But something still didn't add up. Silas frowned.
Both Gigalith and Onix had set up Stealth Rock a long time ago. Between the back-and-forth of their earlier exchanges, the impact of multiple move clashes should've scattered the rocks. Not to mention, Stealth Rock doesn't usually remain active for such a long duration.
That location…
As Silas recalled Pidgeot, his eyes continuously scanned the field.
Then Shizuo's voice carried across the arena:
"Tell me how you figured out that Honchkrow was using Substitute, and I'll tell you why Stealth Rock was still active in that position. Deal?"
Silas narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Sure," he replied. Then his tone sharpened. "But—let's finish this battle first."
His fighting spirit flared, leaving nothing concealed.
Shizuo chuckled. "Then I hope you don't throw a tantrum once you lose."
"You're talking pretty big for the one who already lost, aren't you?" Silas shot back immediately.
The crowd, who moments ago had been puzzled by the earlier confusion, instantly lit up again, fired up by the tension between the two trainers.
Cheers for both sides erupted throughout the stadium.
"The Pokémon Pidgeot is unable to battle. Trainers, please send out your next Pokémon."
The referee, seasoned as ever, quickly regained composure and corrected himself.
The two trainers, still mid–trash talk, both snorted coldly.
"Burn it all down—go, Blaziken!"
"Show them what real power means—let's go, Blastoise!"
....
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