After Aiden Flint's battle with Tyson ended, the final winner was decided.
Aiden won.
Of course, in that six-on-six battle, Tyson had only brought three or four of his absolute main forces.
He hadn't used all six of his strongest Pokémon.
Likewise, Aiden had only deployed three of his true core Pokémon as well.
Right now, the gap between the two wasn't actually very large.
But when the Ever Grande Conference arrived, the difference would surely become clear.
After all, Aiden had only been traveling for less than four months, while Tyson had been a Trainer for years.
Two more months…
By the time the Ever Grande Conference opened, if luck was on Aiden's side, he might already possess Pokémon at Elite Four level.
After recalling Pidgeot, Aiden praised all of his partners who had fought.
At the same time, Tyson returned his Skarmory and walked over.
"Aiden, I lost today—but at the Ever Grande Conference, I won't. Let's have a real showdown then."
Aiden smiled and shook his hand.
"Deal. But the championship will be mine."
From behind them, Gary Oak and Harrison laughed.
"Hey! Are you two forgetting that we still exist?"
Everyone burst out laughing and stepped aside, giving the battlefield to Gary and Harrison.
In terms of starter Pokémon, it was impossible to say whether Blaziken or Blastoise was stronger—it all came down to how they were used.
Gary's Blastoise was powerful, but Harrison's Blaziken was just as fearsome.
They both opened with their strongest starters.
But in terms of typing, Blaziken was completely disadvantaged.
After a long and brutal fight, Blaziken was finally taken down by Blastoise's Hydro Pump, though Blastoise itself was left on the verge of exhaustion.
After losing Blaziken, Harrison's face darkened.
His Steelix was taken down by Gary's Arcanine, and although the rest of their Pokémon traded blows evenly, the final score ended 5–6.
Gary won.
And so, the final match would be:
Kanto's Gary Oak vs. Hoenn's Aiden Flint.
Professor Birch couldn't help feeling stunned.
He had already rated Aiden highly—but if Aiden hadn't been invited this time, Tyson and Harrison would probably have both fallen to Gary.
If that had happened, Hoenn's reputation would have taken a serious hit.
After the Pokémon were fully healed, the final battle was scheduled for the next day.
This time, Brock acted as referee.
As Aiden and Gary stood on opposite sides of the battlefield, the championship match began.
"Go, my sweetheart!"
Gary threw a Poké Ball, and a handsome Scizor appeared.
At the same time, Aiden's Infernape stepped onto the field.
"Ding! Scizor's current stats:"
Pokémon: Scizor
Level: 51
Ability: Technician
Type: Bug / Steel
Potential: Purple
Moves: Metal Claw, Wing Attack, False Swipe, Hyper Beam, Swords Dance, X-Scissor…
"Infernape? That's a Sinnoh starter! You even have one of those?"
Gary, Professor Rowan, and even Lucas and Reggie all stared at Aiden in disbelief.
No one could believe that a rookie Trainer could own so many rare Pokémon.
Wild starter Pokémon—especially Fire-type starters—were almost unheard of.
Even Ash's Charizard and Infernape had been abandoned Pokémon.
In Hoenn, he never even found a wild Torchic—he only got Torkoal.
"Being a Trainer means meeting all kinds of Pokémon. That's what makes it an adventure."
Aiden smiled.
"Infernape, Flamethrower!"
"Scizor, Swords Dance!"
Scizor began spinning its massive pincers as Infernape's flames surged toward it, actually resisting the fire for a moment.
But when Infernape saw the flames being blocked, its fighting spirit exploded.
The fire grew even stronger.
BOOM!
Scizor was swallowed by flames.
"Close in—Fire Punch!"
Infernape dashed forward, its Iron Fist-boosted punch crashing down.
Fire-type × Technician × four-times super-effective—
Scizor was blasted straight out of the arena and knocked out instantly.
"Ding! Infernape defeated Scizor, gaining 800 EXP. Level increased—current level: Lv48!"
Everyone was stunned.
Gary's Pokémon had been crushed far too easily.
"…Then I'm counting on you—Electivire!"
Gary recalled Scizor and sent out his next ace.
"Ding! Electivire's current stats:"
Pokémon: Electivire
Level: 55
Ability: Motor Drive
Type: Electric
Potential: Gold
Moves: Thunder Punch, Low Kick, Thunderbolt, Light Screen, Thunder, Fire Punch…
Aiden grew serious.
"Infernape, stay in!"
Despite the seven-level gap, Infernape's red-grade potential meant this would not be one-sided.
"Electivire—use Discharge on yourself!"
Electricity surged over Electivire's body, activating Motor Drive and sharply boosting its Speed.
A clever move.
But it wouldn't be enough.
"Infernape—charge! Mach Punch!"
With a fierce roar, Infernape exploded forward, white light trailing behind it as its speed skyrocketed.
Its glowing fist slammed straight toward Electivire…
…
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