The stadium was silent. Every spectator was focused on the battlefield.
Infernarx stood on one side.
Nightflare stood on the other.
The winner would advance. The loser would go home.
The referee's flag dropped.
"Begin!"
Nightflare immediately took to the sky. It moved incredibly fast. Almost too fast to follow.
"Shadow Wing!"
Nightflare descended from above.
"Infernarx! Dodge and use Flame Burst!"
Infernarx leaped aside.
BOOOOM
Flames exploded across the battlefield. But Nightflare had already vanished. Rex Valtor wasn't trying to overpower Infernarx. He was trying to wear it down.
One hit at a time. A patient strategy.
Elior quickly noticed the pattern.
Nightflare always attacked from blind spots. Always from above. Always after creating a distraction.
A smile appeared on Elior's face.
"Infernarx, use Flame Burst everywhere!"
The crowd looked confused.
Fireballs exploded across the battlefield.
Smoke filled the arena.
Visibility dropped to almost zero.
Nightflare attacked again. Exactly as Elior expected. The moment it emerged Infernarx was waiting.
"Now! Fire Fang!"
CRASH!
Direct hit.
The stadium erupted. Nightflare Strikes Back But Rex remained calm.
"Nightflare, Sky Dive!"
Nightflare soared high above the clouds. Higher. Higher. Until it almost disappeared.Then—It descended like a meteor.
"Infernarx! Flame Charge!"
Both Pokémon charged forward.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The collision shook the stadium. The crowd stood up. Nobody wanted to miss a second.
Both Pokémon were exhausted. Both were covered in injuries. Neither wanted to lose.
Infernarx remembered everything. The beginning of its journey. The Gym Battles.
The defeat against Zeff. The evolution in Wang Tang. Every challenge. Every victory.
Every loss.All of it led here.
Elior raised his fist.
"Infernarx!qLet's finish this!"
Infernarx roared.
Ultimate Attack
A massive firestorm surrounded Infernarx. The flames grew larger and larger. Even the audience could feel the heat.
Nightflare gathered dark energy around its wings. Darkness covered the battlefield. Fire and darkness.
The Deciding Blow
"BLAZING NOVA!"
"NIGHTFALL ASCENT!"
The attacks collided.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The explosion illuminated the entire stadium. For several seconds— Nobody could see anything.
The smoke slowly cleared.Nightflare was breathing heavily. Infernarx was breathing heavily. One second.Two seconds. Three seconds.
Nightflare attempted to stand.
Its wings trembled.
Then—
It collapsed.
THUD.
The referee raised the flag.
"Nightflare is unable to battle!The winner is Infernarx! Victory goes to Elior!"
The stadium exploded into cheers. Elior had advanced to Round Two of the Luminara League Championship.
Rex recalled Nightflare.Then walked toward Elior.A small smile appeared on his face.
"You've got a strong partner."
Elior smiled back.
"So do you."
The two trainers shook hands.
High above the stadium...The hooded figure in the VIP section slowly stood.
For the first time, part of their face became visible.A scar crossed one eye.
The figure smiled.
"Interesting..."
Then they turned away and disappeared into the crowd.
Meanwhile, on Aether Isle... An ancient roar echoed across the island. Even Zeff stopped walking. Something guarding the Third Key had awakened.
ROOOOOOOOOOOAR!!!
TO BE CONTINUED...