Third POV
After Pidgeotto lost, Blue withdrew it and sent out his next Pokémon.
"Scyther!"
The green mantis Pokémon took the stage and immediately got into a battle stance.
Its blades gleamed under the arena lights as it stared at the exhausted Axew.
Blue wasted no time.
"Double Team, then Slash!"
Scyther blurred across the battlefield.
Multiple copies appeared at once, surrounding Axew from every direction.
The copies rushed forward simultaneously, making it difficult to tell which one was real.
"Dragon Claw on both arms!" Grey shouted. "Fight back and use Dragon Rage in bursts to clear the doubles!"
Axew roared and formed Dragon Claws on both hands.
At the same time, it began firing Dragon Rages in short bursts around itself.
The explosions tore through several illusions, causing them to disappear instantly.
One after another, the fake Scythers vanished.
Then the real one appeared.
Scyther darted through an opening and landed a Slash on Axew.
But Axew was ready.
It swung one Dragon Claw and struck Scyther in return.
Before Axew could follow up, Blue gave another command.
"Air Slash!"
At point blank range, Scyther unleashed a blade of compressed air.
The attack struck Axew directly and sent the small dragon skidding backward across the battlefield.
Grey was about to call out another order when he stopped.
His eyes widened slightly.
Axew was still standing.
Barely.
The fight against Pidgeotto had already taken a huge toll on it. The battle against Scyther was only making things worse.
Its breathing was ragged.
Its body was covered in injuries.
At this point it was fighting on pure willpower.
Grey clenched his fists.
There was not much left in the tank.
Still, Axew looked at Scyther with determination in its eyes.
It wanted to continue.
"Axew!" Grey shouted. "Strength and Dragon Claw!"
Axew roared.
Its muscles tensed as Strength boosted its physical power one final time.
Dragon Claws formed once again on both hands as it charged forward.
"Quick Attack!" Blue responded immediately.
Scyther became a green blur.
Just before Axew's attack connected, Scyther accelerated and slipped out of the way.
Then it began circling around the dragon at high speed.
"Air Slash!"
Scyther continuously launched blades of wind while moving around the battlefield.
Axew tried to follow its movements but its body was reaching its limit.
The repeated attacks were making it harder and harder to remain standing.
Blue saw the opening.
"Night Slash!"
Scyther disappeared.
Then it suddenly appeared in front of Axew at incredible speed, its blade coated in dark energy.
Grey knew this was probably the final exchange.
"Night Slash too!" he ordered.
Axew forced itself to move.
Scyther's Night Slash landed first.
The dark attack struck Axew and pushed it past its limits.
But even then, Axew managed to react.
Just before being knocked away, it swung one arm and landed a night slash across Scyther's torso.
The mantis Pokémon winced as the attack connected.
Then Axew finally collapsed.
The small dragon hit the ground.
Unable to continue.
The referee immediately raised a flag.
"Axew is unable to battle!"
Blue let out a slow breath.
Scyther stepped back, visibly injured from the last hit but still capable of fighting.
Grey looked at his starter for a moment before smiling slightly.
"You did well, buddy."
He recalled Axew back into its Poké Ball.
Truthfully, Grey already understood what had happened.
Using the strategy of tanking hits against Pidgeotto had worked and secured him the first knockout, but it had also taken a heavy toll on Axew.
By the time Scyther entered the field, Axew was already running on fumes.
Still, it had done its job.
It had defeated Blue's Pidgeotto and even managed to wound Scyther before going down.
Now the battle stood at one Pokémon each.
——————————————————————-
Grey released his second Pokémon.
"Persian!"
The elegant cat Pokémon landed on the battlefield and immediately locked eyes with Scyther.
Blue was not surprised.
In fact, he had expected Grey to release Persian specifically.
Out of all his remaining Pokémon, it was the most logical choice.
The moment the battle resumed, both Pokémon vanished.
"Night Slash!"
"Night Slash!"
Both trainers gave the same command.
Persian and Scyther appeared and disappeared across the battlefield at incredible speeds, their attacks colliding repeatedly.
Dark energy flashed as both Pokémon exchanged blows.
Neither was willing to give the other an inch.
"Thunderbolt!" Grey suddenly ordered.
Persian immediately fired a powerful Thunderbolt at the Bug and Flying type Pokémon.
Blue, however, already had a strategy prepared.
"Steel Wing! Plant it into the ground!"
Scyther's wings glowed silver.
Instead of dodging, it drove one wing directly into the battlefield.
The Thunderbolt struck Scyther.
For a moment electricity surged through its body.
Then the majority of the current was redirected into the ground through the Steel Wing.
Scyther got back up.
While most of the attack had been dispersed, it had still taken some damage by acting as a conductor.
Grey narrowed his eyes.
He recognized the tactic immediately.
It was the same trick Winona used in the anime.
How Blue had arrived at a similar solution on his own, Grey had no idea.
Forget it.
The important thing was that Thunderbolt was effectively neutralized.
Even if Persian used a stronger version of the attack, Scyther could still redirect most of the electricity.
Sure, it would take damage in the process, but Persian would also become vulnerable if it used too much power at once.
A powerful Thunderbolt required recovery time.
Not quite as much as Hyper Beam, but enough.
And against something as fast as Scyther, even a small opening could be fatal.
He could not afford to give that bug any free opportunities.
"Quick Attack and Night Slash!" Grey ordered. "Use Shadow Ball whenever you find an opening!"
Blue nodded.
"Quick Attack and Night Slash as well! Keep pressuring it! Use Night Slash to counter Shadow Ball or intercept it at range!"
The battle immediately became a blur.
Both Pokémon abused Quick Attack to its fullest extent.
They continuously disappeared and reappeared across the battlefield.
This was a fight between the two fastest Pokémon in the tournament.
Many trainers in the audience could not even properly follow their movements.
They only saw occasional flashes as attacks connected.
Ash watched with wide eyes.
"Brock, can my Pidgeotto learn that trick Scyther used with Steel Wing?"
Brock nodded.
"It should be possible if you train for it."
Ash immediately gained several new ideas from watching the battle.
Back on the field, the fight continued.
Whenever distance opened up, Persian launched Shadow Balls while Scyther responded with Air Slashes.
The ranged attacks collided and exploded.
Whenever one side looked ready to gain momentum, the other immediately closed the distance.
Neither Pokémon was willing to give up an opening.
Neither trainer was willing to blink.
Eventually Blue grew tired of the stalemate.
"Double Team! Then Quick Slash!"
Scyther split into multiple copies.
The battlefield suddenly filled with green mantises.
Grey reacted immediately.
"Quick Attack and Night Slash!"
Persian rushed forward.
But the numerous copies confused it.
Every time it attacked one image, another appeared somewhere else.
The illusions created opportunities for Scyther to land real attacks.
Small cuts slowly accumulated on Persian's body.
The cat Pokémon became increasingly frustrated.
Finally, Persian growled.
Then it unleashed a Thunderbolt.
The electric attack spread across the battlefield and erased every clone instantly.
Only one Scyther remained standing.
The real one.
Scyther immediately used Steel Wing and planted itself into the ground to redirect the electricity.
But this time Persian had already found its target.
"There!" Grey shouted.
Persian blurred forward.
Night Slash.
Scyther was still using Steel Wing.
The two attacks collided head on.
Dark energy met silver steel.
The impact sent both Pokémon backward.
Then they charged again.
Neither side backed down.
Neither side slowed down.
They continued exchanging attacks across the battlefield.
Quick Attack.
Night Slash.
Steel Wing.
Shadow Ball.
Air Slash.
Again and again.
Eventually both Pokémon began to show signs of exhaustion.
Their movements were still fast, but not as sharp as before.
Their bodies were covered in injuries.
Both Grey and Blue realized the next exchange would likely decide everything.
The two trainers looked at each other.
Then gave the same order.
"Night Slash!"
Persian and Scyther disappeared.
For a brief moment the battlefield seemed empty.
Then both Pokémon appeared directly in front of each other.
Dark energy coated their attacks.
Both Night Slashes landed at the exact same moment.
A shockwave erupted from the collision.
The crowd held its breath.
Both Pokémon staggered backward.
One step.
Two steps.
Three.
Then both collapsed.
Silence filled the arena.
The referee carefully observed them for a few moments.
Neither Pokémon moved.
He raised both flags.
"Persian and Scyther are unable to battle!"
The crowd erupted into cheers.
Both Pokémon had pushed themselves beyond their limits.
The score was now tied once again.
The finals would be decided by the last battle.
————————————————-
Both trainers released their final Pokémon.
Grey released Exeggcute, while Blue released Kadabra.
Both Pokémon landed on the field.
And the match began.
Grey immediately told Exeggcute to use Leech Seed with Confusion. The eggs launched the seeds, using Confusion to guide them toward Kadabra. However, Kadabra simply teleported in front of Exeggcute and fired a Tri Attack.
Exeggcute quickly used Confusion to block the attack head-on.
The two attacks collided, creating a blast that sent both Pokémon skidding backward.
Grey realized that homing Leech Seeds would not work against a Pokémon with Teleport. He immediately ordered Exeggcute to use Sunny Day to boost its speed through Chlorophyll.
But Blue had anticipated that.
"Kadabra, use Taunt!"
Kadabra immediately taunted Exeggcute, preventing it from using status moves.
Again, Grey found himself thinking about how many counters Blue had prepared specifically for his Pokémon. It was almost as if, aside from the first matchup between Axew and Pidgeotto, nothing was going his way.
Exeggcute could no longer use Toxic either.
Now it had no choice but to attack.
Grey then told Exeggcute to move using Confusion throughout the battle. The Egg Pokémon lifted itself into the air and began floating around the battlefield.
Kadabra also prepared itself.
Suddenly Exeggcute zoomed toward Kadabra.
Kadabra instantly teleported behind it and fired a Confusion attack.
However, being a Psychic type itself, Exeggcute noticed the distortion in space created by Teleport much faster than most Pokémon would and immediately used Confusion to defend against the incoming attack.
Kadabra followed up with Psycho Cut.
Exeggcute responded with confusion , managing to block the attack before attempting a Giga Drain.
But Kadabra simply teleported away before the attack could connect.
Grey realized that many of Exeggcute's usual options simply did not work against Kadabra.
At the same time, Blue realized just how much mastery Exeggcute had over Confusion. It was using the move in dozens of different ways throughout the battle.
Eventually the effects of Taunt faded.
Yet Grey still did not use any status moves.
He knew Blue would simply order Kadabra to use Taunt again and reset the situation.
The match became slow and difficult.
Both Pokémon repeatedly tried to hit one another with Confusion or other attacks.
Grey even ordered a Synthesis midway through the battle.
However, Blue's Kadabra knew Recover.
The result was both Pokémon returning close to full condition.
Eventually the battle came down to stamina.
Normally this would have favored Exeggcute.
But on the field, whenever both Pokémon clashed with Confusion, Kadabra's psychic power was slowly beginning to overpower Exeggcute's.
The Egg Pokémon was struggling to keep up.
During the battle, Grey suddenly heard an angry scream inside his mind.
"ARGHHHH!"
He looked around in confusion, wondering where it had come from.
Unaware of it, Exeggcute, in its frustration at being unable to overwhelm the yellow Psychic Pokémon, had accidentally projected its emotions telepathically.
But unfortunately, that did not help the situation at all.
Kadabra eventually overpowered Exeggcute's Confusion.
Then it teleported directly in front of the eggs and fired a Tri Attack.
Exeggcute tried to defend itself with Confusion once again.
But this time the move came out too slowly.
The Tri Attack slammed directly into it.
Grey finally realized what was happening.
Exeggcute had already fought a long battle earlier today.
While its health had been restored, its fatigue had not.
It had simply exhausted too much energy.
Despite Exeggcute's desire to release more psychic power and continue fighting, there was not enough left in the tank.
Kadabra realized this as well.
Internally, it felt a little disappointed.
Before the match, Blue had specifically told Kadabra during their strategy discussion that handling Exeggcute would likely be the hardest battle of the finals.
And for most of the match, that prediction had been true.
But now the Egg Pokémon had finally reached its limit.
Deciding to finish things quickly, Kadabra began teleporting around the battlefield and launching Tri Attacks one after another.
Grey watched in silence.
There was not much he could say.
Exeggcute was defeated right in front of him.
At that moment, Grey understood one of the biggest reasons he had lost today.
He simply did not have enough Pokémon.
Because of that, his team had entered the finals already exhausted.
The other reason was that Blue had seen almost everything Grey could do throughout the tournament.
Blue had prepared dedicated counters.
It frustrated Grey to lose.
He clenched his fist tightly before finally returning Exeggcute to its Poké Ball.
"Thank you. You did well."
Blue then walked forward and extended his hand.
Grey stared at it for a moment.
Then, after a brief pause, he shook it.
The referee raised his flag.
"The winner of the S.S. Anne Tournament is Blue Oak!"
The crowd erupted into cheers.
Blue had done it.
Even the Champions watching from the VIP box stood up and applauded after witnessing this match.