The battle raged on. Blue could feel the pressure mounting.
Throughout his journey, he'd faced countless high-stakes matches that made his heart race—against Agatha, Lance, Giovanni… all powerful opponents who had once forced him to his limits.
But among his peers, the ones who could truly push him were rare. Dylan, perhaps, counted as one—but among his true equals, only Red had ever truly made him feel this way.
Until now.
Standing before him was Serena, the refined, confident Champion of Kalos—and she was pushing him harder than anyone had in a long time.
No matter how sharply he battled, he couldn't gain an overwhelming lead. If he slipped up even slightly, the momentum would tilt against him.
It had been a while since Blue had felt such a rush—and it was thrilling.
Before either of them realized it, the battle had reached its climax.
Blue's Arcanine had just defeated Serena's Delphox. That left her with only one Pokémon remaining.
"Phew…"
Serena exhaled softly, gripping her last Poké Ball. Her pale cheeks were flushed, not from exhaustion, but from exhilaration. She was enjoying this—an evenly matched fight between equals.
"I can hardly believe it," she said, her voice clear but edged with wonder. "Blue of the Kanto Elite Four… and you're only the third among them?"
She didn't throw her Poké Ball right away. She just stared at him, genuinely impressed.
She had always known Blue was strong. But she had expected to win—she believed she would win.
Now? She wasn't so sure.
Serena still had faith in herself—champions must—but she couldn't deny the sheer force of the opponent standing across from her.
The third of the Kanto Elite Four… was this strong?That was absurd!
She'd heard the Kanto Elite Four were formidable, but only now did she understand.
"Heh. I'll tell you one thing," Blue said, smirking proudly. "I'm not staying in third place for long. I'll knock Red and Giovanni off their thrones soon enough—and then I'll be at the top."
Serena almost laughed, but restrained herself out of poise and respect.
"I must admit, you're strong, Serena," Blue continued. "But the winner of this battle—will be me!"
"Oh?" Serena replied with a gentle, confident smile. "That's exactly what I was about to say to you, Blue."
With that, she threw her final Poké Ball.
"I'll be the one who claims victory in the end! Prepare to fall before my ace!"
A brilliant white light burst forth, and when it faded, a sleek, snow-white Pokémon with an icy aura stood before her—Absol.
"Absol, huh?" Blue narrowed his eyes.
"Yes," Serena said, her hand moving to her Key Stone bracelet. "My strongest partner."
Absol raised its head proudly, locking eyes with Arcanine.
"Our bond will carry us to victory!" Serena declared.
The Key Stone and Absol's Mega Stone began to resonate, glowing with intertwining light.
A surge of radiant energy enveloped Absol, and when it faded, Mega Absol stood in its place—elegant, fierce, and exuding overwhelming power.
Blue's expression grew serious. This was no ordinary Pokémon.
Bzzt!Mega Absol – Dark type – Disaster PokémonAbility: Magic BounceMoves: Perish Song, Future Sight, Swords Dance, Sucker Punch, Night Slash, Detect…Entry: The power of Mega Evolution radiates from it like a terrifying aura—those weak of heart may die from fright.
"Whoa… so that's Serena's ace," Lillie murmured from the stands, staring in awe. "It's beautiful…"
Indeed, the gleaming white Mega Absol commanded the arena's attention.
Blue didn't switch out his Arcanine. It was one of his most trusted Pokémon, and though worn down, he intended to test Mega Absol's strength head-on.
"Extreme Speed!" Blue commanded.
"Use Sucker Punch!" Serena countered instantly.
The two Pokémon lunged simultaneously—but Absol's move went off first. The dark-type priority strike interrupted Arcanine's charge, slamming into it before it could move.
Then, following seamlessly, Mega Absol's Night Slash hit home—sending Arcanine crashing down.
Blue clenched his teeth. There was no denying it—Mega Absol was incredibly strong.
And now, both sides were down to their last Pokémon.
Blue tossed his final Poké Ball. "Let's end this, Blastoise!"
The massive turtle emerged, water cannons gleaming under the lights.
"Mega Evolve!"
Light flared once again, and soon Mega Blastoise stood ready, its central cannon humming with focused energy.
The crowd held its breath. A duel between two Mega Evolutions—this was it.
The two Trainers exchanged silent nods.
The final battle began.
Wave after wave of powerful moves clashed—Hydro Pump, Night Slash, Aura Sphere, Detect. Both Pokémon were bruised and battered, their breathing labored.
Finally, Serena saw her chance.
"Mega Absol! Quick Attack to close the distance—then use Night Slash!"
The white flash of light streaked forward. Mega Absol ducked under a Hydro Pump, twisting midair to strike—
But at the last instant, Mega Blastoise's head snapped back into its shell.
The slash struck only hardened shell, sparking harmlessly.
Serena's eyes widened.
From inside the shell, energy flared—
"Now! Aura Sphere!" Blue shouted.
Mega Blastoise's main cannon fired first—Serena barely managed to have Absol dodge with Detect.
But then, from its smaller shoulder cannons, two more Aura Spheres fired at perfect angles—
Boom! Boom!
They struck dead-on, blasting Mega Absol backward.
Fighting-type energy—super effective against Dark types.
The smoke cleared. Mega Absol had reverted to its normal form, lying unconscious on the field.
"Absol is unable to battle! Blastoise wins! Since Serena's team is unable to continue, the winner—Blue from Kanto!"
The referee's voice echoed across the arena.
The crowd exploded.
"Blue!!!"
"Kanto's Elite Four—our champion!!!"
"Serena… oh no…"
"She was so close! If she'd used Thunder instead of closing in, she might've won!"
"What a shame… that was incredible, though!"
The air was filled with cheers and sighs alike.
"Blue actually did it…" Leaf whispered, smiling brightly. "That's my teammate!"
Dylan nodded approvingly. "Very composed till the end. Using Blastoise's shell to mitigate physical damage—smart play."
He remembered how he had once underestimated Red's Blastoise the same way—and paid for it.
"Impressive," Wallace added. "That makes three Kanto Trainers who've reached the Masters Eight."
Indeed, Blue's victory had pushed him into the top eight—while Serena dropped to eighth, and Giovanni fell to ninth.
The World Championships were merciless—if someone climbed, someone else fell.
To stay on top, you had to keep fighting.
But even with Giovanni bumped out, the fact that three Kanto Trainers had entered the Masters Eight was astounding.
On the field—
"I did it," Blue whispered, then grinned broadly at the giant screen showing his portrait.
"Grandpa… cousin… Tracey… you guys see this?"
He clenched his fist, excitement blazing in his eyes.
"I'm in the Masters Eight!"
In the audience, Professor Oak couldn't hold back his pride. "Hahaha! That's my grandson!"
Tracey cheered, while Ilene smiled softly, watching Blue's triumphant face with warmth in her eyes.
"Congratulations, Blue," Serena said quietly, walking up to him after recalling Absol.
Though her heart ached with disappointment, she held her head high—as a Champion should.
"Thanks," Blue replied with rare humility. "You were amazing, Serena."
He could be arrogant, but never when respect was due.
"I'll remember this battle," Serena said firmly. "Next time, I won't lose."
"Bring it on," Blue replied, eyes blazing. "I'll never back down from a challenge!"
If I can beat you once, I can beat you again—that was Blue's creed.
…Though, admittedly, that creed didn't always hold up—especially when it came to Red.
He didn't know why, but lately, Red's growth had been terrifying. Once, they were even rivals—fifty-fifty.
Now? Blue's win rate had dropped below thirty percent.
Had Red been training on Mount Silver nonstop or something?!
Blue didn't know—and honestly, didn't care right now.
He turned his head and found his rival in the stands.
With a proud grin, he mouthed silently:
"From today onward… I'm one of the eight strongest Trainers in the world."
Red's eyes narrowed beneath his cap.
…He didn't like that smirk one bit.
Maybe tonight, it was time to pay Blue a visit—for a little "training."
(End of Chapter)