"BOOM!!!"
Aegislash crashed heavily to the ground.
The sound of clashing iron rang out between its body and the battlefield floor.
"Aegislash is unable to battle! Talonfla is the winner!"
Even the referee hadn't expected the semifinals match to turn out this one-sided.
But this only proved one thing—it wasn't that Sawyer wasn't strong enough, it was that his opponent, Ash, was simply too strong!
The familiar chi of the system echoed in Ash's mind as he recalled Talonfla.
He looked across at Sawyer.
"Sawyer, is this really all you've got? If it is, then you've only just caught up to the strength I had back in my very first year of traveling!"
The strength of his first year traveling!
"Yes, Ash-senpai, I'll work even harder!"
Sawyer's emotions were snapped back to reality by Ash's booming voice.
Right—he had been too anxious, too desperate to prove himself.
That desperation clouded his judgnt.
Ash-senpai had been traveling for years, seeing and experiencing things he couldn't possibly compare to in just his first year on the road. From here on, all he needed to do was focus wholeheartedly on the battle—not worry about the stage or the pressure.
Sawyer steadied himself once more.
He sent out his third Pokémon.
Clawitzer!
"Serperior, you're up!"
The third match: Serperior versus Clawitzer!
"Clawitzer, use Water Pulse!"
"Leaf Blade!"
Swish! Swish!
Clawitzer blasted out a Water Pulse, but Serperior's Leaf Blade only needed two razor-sharp leaves to slice it clean in half!
"Use Leaf Storm!"
"Hisss!"
Serperior's tail cracked the air with force, summoning countless leaves that spun violently around it before surging forward like a cutting whirlwind.
The storm of leaves churned into a massive shredder aid straight at Clawitzer!
"Clawitzer, fire Water Pulse into the ground!"
This ti, Sawyer remained calm.
Clawitzer blasted the battlefield beneath it, launching itself skyward with the recoil!
"Now—Ice Beam!"
The icy blast fired at lightning speed, striking Serperior in an instant and encasing it in solid ice!
Immobilized.
Sawyer froze. Had… had he succeeded?
Had he really managed to take down one of Ash-senpai's Pokémon?!
He felt a surge of joy—only for it to vanish within two seconds.
The frozen block shattered into shards!
"Good—again! Leaf Blade!"
Swish! Swish!
Clawitzer plumted back down from the sky, only to be blasted back up again by the slashing Leaf Blades, completely knocked out of the fight.
"Oh no! It looks like things aren't going well for Sawyer. Three of his Pokémon are already down! We'll now take a ten-minute intermission, giving both the audience ti to discuss and Sawyer so ti to rethink his strategy!"
The announcer's voice echoed through the stadium.
The ten-minute intermission passed in the blink of an eye.
The battle resud!
"Go, Salance!"
Both trainers sent out Salance at the sa ti!
"So, Ash-senpai is using Salance here as well."
This ti, Sawyer wasn't surprised. Under his command, Salance charged forward!
Ash's Salance, though it hadn't fought much in official battles, had no shortage of strength and training behind it!
"Dragon Claw!"
Both Salance lunged with Dragon Claw!
But Sawyer's Salance was no match for Ash's in terms of raw power!
Its Dragon Claw was knocked aside with brute force!
"Now—smash it away!"
Rippp!
Dragon Claw slamd against its opponent's face. Ash's Salance swatted Sawyer's Salance aside with one crushing blow, red wings flapping furiously as it rose.
"Dragon Rush! Go!"
Ash wasn't holding back in the slightest.
This version of Ash was terrifying—utterly beyond Sawyer's reach.
"Sawyer, if you want to get stronger, then you'll need to face overwhelming pressure. I hope after this battle, you'll co away with sothing to grow from!"
The fifth Pokémon—Slurpuff!
Ash countered with Goodra!
In the original tiline, Sawyer's Slurpuff had fought Ash's Goodra to a draw.
After all, Fairy-types had the advantage against Dragons.
But this ti, Ash didn't give Sawyer even the smallest chance!
Goodra still took the victory!
Sawyer was down to his last Pokémon.
"Ash is way too strong when he's serious—Sawyer doesn't even have room to breathe."
Tierno, the big guy who'd once been defeated by Sawyer, chuckled sheepishly. If Sawyer was struggling this badly, then he had been even further from Ash's level.
It was clear now—Sawyer wasn't weak at all. Ash was simply overwhelming.
"Sceptile, together—we'll challenge Ash-senpai once more!"
Sawyer's final Pokémon was his trusted Sceptile!
Up in the spectator's hall, Steven nodded. This boy nad Sawyer… he was one Steven held in high regard.
After all, it had been Steven who helped Sawyer obtain both the Key Stone and the ga Stone for Sceptile.
"Greninja!"
"Kroaaa!"
"Ash-senpai, this is it! Sceptile and I will give everything we have to show you how far we've co! Sceptile—ga Evolve!"
Sawyer clenched the Key Stone in his hand!
"Then show ! Greninja—it's ti! Let's give it everything we've got!"
BOOM!!!
A towering column of water erupted skyward, shaking the entire arena!
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