"Victory decided! Pawmot and Ferrothorn are unable to battle! The winners are Payton and Nessa! They will face the tournament favorites—Peter and Whitney—in the finals!!!"
"WOOOOOO—!!!"
Thunderous applause filled the arena.
Clearly, the overwhelming performance of Payton and Nessa had earned the audience's full respect.
Meanwhile, the livestream chat had already gone completely off the rails:
"BETTING TIME! If Peter wins, I gain 2 cm!!!"
"WAIT WHAT? Then I bet 20 cm!"
"Get outta here, you don't even have 20 to bet! Show proof first or we supervise the cut!"
"20 cm guy, I'm cute, sweet voice… but also packing. Wanna try?"
"I'm calling it now—Peter's about to pull out something insane next round!"
"..."
The break between matches was short.
Peter and Whitney stepped away briefly.
Whitney complained that her chest felt a little tight—
So as a responsible boyfriend, Peter helped her "relieve" it.
Judging by the rosy flush on her face afterward…
The results were quite effective.
"Ugh… even with so little time, you still had to do something naughty…"
Whitney's watery eyes shimmered with affection, even as she complained. Her hand clung tightly to his, reluctant to let go.
"Heh…" Peter just grinned, clearly still savoring the moment.
"Hmph… you're definitely thinking something bad again. Hurry up, we're about to go on."
"Alright, alright…"
…
"After three days of intense battles, we have finally reached the grand finale! Please welcome our finalists—Peter, Whitney, Nessa, and Payton!!!"
"WOOOOOO—!!!"
Amid roaring applause, the four trainers entered from both sides of the arena.
The battlefield had now expanded to fill the entire stadium. Energy barriers shimmered at the edges, protecting the audience from the aftermath of what was to come.
After all—
There was a very real possibility Peter might use Gigantamax.
"Both sides, release your Pokémon!"
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
Four Poké Balls burst open.
On one side:
[Swampert Lv.57 (Gym - Advanced)]
[Drednaw Lv.44 (Elite - Mid)]
On the other:
[Arboliva Lv.47 (Elite - Advanced)]
[Clefairy Lv.48 (Elite - Advanced)]
The referee's flag dropped.
"Battle—START!"
Nessa moved first.
She recalled Drednaw—
Then raised her wrist.
A brilliant golden light erupted from her Dynamax Band as the Poké Ball expanded rapidly.
"Go—Drednaw! Gigantamax!!!"
"ROOOAAARR—!!!"
The sky darkened instantly.
Crimson clouds churned violently as a colossal figure descended—
A Gigantamax Drednaw.
Now standing upright, its hind legs like pillars, its shell towering like an unscalable mountain, its stone axe-like horn and jagged spikes gleaming with terrifying power.
…
At the same time—
Payton stepped forward, pulling out a necklace.
Embedded within it—
A dazzling Keystone.
"Rampage, Swampert—Mega Evolve!!!"
"GRAAAH—!!!"
Swampert roared as its body expanded, radiant light enveloping it.
Moments later—
Mega Swampert stood beneath the towering Drednaw.
…
The commentator nearly lost his voice:
"Incredible! Nessa from the Galar region is also capable of Gigantamax! Combined with Payton's Mega Evolution—this pressure is absolutely overwhelming!!!"
The audience stared in stunned silence.
Multiple battle systems—
On the same field.
Peter grinned.
"Now that's quite the gift…"
Nemo clenched her fists at the sidelines. "So they were holding back all along…"
The battle began immediately.
"Drednaw—Max Geyser!"
"RAAAAH!"
The air dried instantly as massive spheres of water condensed around Drednaw—
Then launched forward like compressed cannons.
"BOOOOM—!!!"
A massive water blast, over ten meters in diameter, struck Arboliva almost instantly—
Like a tidal wave crashing against the shore.
Water surged skyward—
Then—
Rain began to fall.
Heavier.
And heavier.
Rainstorm activated.
Peter's eyes flickered slightly.
In the games, Gigantamax Drednaw's Water moves would normally become G-Max Stonesurge, setting up Stealth Rock.
But here—
It could choose freely.
More versatile.
More dangerous.
"Arboliva…"
Through the rain—
Arboliva stood firm.
Completely unharmed.
Behind it, Clefairy was untouched.
A lush Grassy Terrain spread beneath their feet, glowing faintly as it restored their HP.
Peter smiled.
"That level of attack… doesn't seem to shake my Arboliva at all."
Nessa frowned, ready to continue—
But Payton stepped forward.
"I've got this."
"Swampert—Ice Punch!"
"Arboliva—Giga Drain!"
"Clefairy—Reflect!"
Under the rain, Mega Swampert moved at incredible speed—
But Arboliva reacted instantly.
Green energy surged into its body, draining Swampert's vitality and slowing its advance.
By the time it reached striking distance—
Reflect had already been set up.
Ice Punch landed—
But barely made a dent.
"Then how about this? Swampert—Brick Break!"
"GRAAH!"
Swampert's arm became a blade—
And struck down.
"CRACK—!"
Reflect shattered like glass.
Brick Break continued forward—
Striking Arboliva directly in the chest.
"Li… va…"
Arboliva staggered backward several steps before regaining its footing.
Zemu frowned from the sidelines.
"If they keep defending without counterattacking… this won't work."
Nemo shook her head slightly. "Just watch closely."
…
The next moment—
Something changed.
Vines erupted from the ground around Swampert, wrapping tightly around its body.
Green particles flowed outward—
Into Arboliva.
Payton's eyes widened.
"Leech Seed? When did that happen?!"
Peter smiled faintly.
"Just now~"
Then—
He turned his head slightly, his voice soft and confident.
"Babe… I'll leave the rest to you."
Whitney's pink eyes sparkled as she smiled.
"Got it~"
She raised her hand.
"Clefairy—use Imprison."
The battlefield—
Was about to be locked down.