Floette hovered slightly, stabilizing her position with a serene calm, as if nothing had happened. However, with a Fire-type move now in play, the tide of the battle had turned once again.
The clash didn't halt after the impact. The blazing embers of Mystical Fire had completely disrupted the rhythm of the match. Scizor remained standing, but he was far from unscathed. His posture had lost its rigid firmness, and for the first time since entering the battlefield, his flawless offensive was slipping.
Floette, meanwhile, drifted a few meters ahead of Scizor as though untouched. She didn't even seem fazed by the strikes she had previously endured; though the reality was she had taken damage, it was nowhere near enough to wear her down.
On the other side of the field, Gary's mind raced, searching for potential countermeasures. Yet, the more he analyzed the situation, the clearer it became that only one strategy remained viable against this Floette—or at least, it was the only one he could devise in the heat of the moment. Under different circumstances, perhaps better ideas would have come to him, but the sheer tension of the match was beginning to take its toll.
"Scizor, keep up the pressure! Use Bullet Punch!" he commanded firmly.
Scizor reacted instantly, lunging forward with burst speed to execute the move with his signature precision. But things were different now. His movements were slightly sluggish—just enough for the delay to be noticeable.
"Floette, dodge it!" Ash called out with relative calm.
Floette shifted just enough, evading the strike by a much wider and comfortable margin than before. It wasn't a desperate evasion; it was pure control.
"THE PACE HAS COMPLETELY SHIFTED!" Bob bellowed into his microphone.
"SCIZOR HAS LOST HIS INITIAL SPEED AFTER TAKING THAT HEAVY BLOW JUST MOMENTS AGO!" Carl added.
Gary gritted his teeth slightly. He knew Scizor's speed had dropped because of the previous hit, allowing Floette to read and dodge his attacks with ease. But what else could he do? Right now, he was completely out of ideas on how to handle Floette. His only option was to force the offensive and try to break through her guard.
"Don't stop! Keep going!" he ordered.
Scizor pressed on with his assault, chaining movements together in a desperate bid to reclaim his lost momentum. But each strike met the same result: Floette was no longer just reacting—she was anticipating.
"It's time to finish this!" Ash said with a confident smile.
Floette nodded, raising her flower as a sign that she understood exactly what to do. Watching this, Gary panicked and acted on pure impulse.
"Intercept her! Use X-Scissor!" he shouted.
Scizor threw everything he had left into his advance, trying to close the gap before her attack could fully manifest. This time there was no hesitation, no calculation, no searching for precision; it was an all-out gamble, channeling every ounce of his remaining strength into that single strike, but...
"Use Mystical Fire!" Ash commanded.
The flames erupted with even greater intensity than before, completely engulfing Scizor mid-dash. The impact was clean, direct, and utterly unavoidable.
"A DIRECT HIT!" Bob screamed.
The force of the blow sent Scizor crashing heavily onto the battlefield, where he remained motionless.
"Scizor is unable to battle! The victory goes to Floette!" the referee declared firmly.
The stadium erupted into a roar of cheers. What an exhilarating match! The crowd was completely captivated by the sheer power displayed by both trainers, thrilled to see how this would end. The battle was drawing to its climax, and while Ash seemed to hold the winning hand, Gary could still turn things around if he played his remaining cards right.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS IS ABSOLUTELY MIND-BLOWING! GARY WENT FROM COMPLETELY DOMINATING THE MATCH WITH HIS SCIZOR TO BEING DEFEATED BY ASH'S ASTONISHING STRATEGY AND A STROKE OF LUCK!" Bob shouted.
"INDEED! IT WAS PURE MISFORTUNE THAT ASH'S FLOETTE UNLEASHED A FIRE-TYPE MOVE JUST WHEN SHE WAS BACKED INTO A CORNER!" Carl added.
"COULD THIS BE DESTINY, OR PERHAPS SOMETHING MORE?" Bob wondered aloud.
"I DON'T KNOW, BOB! BUT WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT THIS MATCH IS REACHING ITS PEAK, AND THE ODDS ARE NOT LOOKING GOOD FOR GARY, WHO IS CLEARLY AT A SEVERE DISADVANTAGE AGAINST ASH!" Carl noted.
"I WOULDN'T COUNT HIM OUT JUST YET! LET'S NOT FORGET THAT GARY STILL HAS TWO POKÉMON LEFT!" Bob countered.
While the commentators analyzed the turn of events, Gary pondered his next move. That Floette was simply incredible; she had overcome every single obstacle thrown her way, even besting a Pokémon that possessed a clear advantage in speed and attack power. But in the end... things had unraveled leading to his defeat. But was he going to forfeit? Not a chance! He still had two Pokémon left. The match wasn't over, and a comeback was still possible if he played his cards perfectly.
Calming his racing thoughts, Gary drew his next Pokéball, ready to give it his all.
"Espeon, I choose you!" he called out.
The Eevee evolution emerged in a soft flash of light, landing gracefully on the field before locking her eyes onto Floette. Her presence didn't command attention through raw power, but rather through absolute precision. There was a sharp, calculating look in her eyes—a distinct, quiet calm compared to the Pokémon that came before her.
"GARY BRINGS OUT ESPEON!" Bob exclaimed.
"A FAST, TECHNICAL POKÉMON THAT CAN BE INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS IF YOU GIVE HER TIME TO SET UP!" Carl added.
Ash didn't waste a single second. Floette could still fight, yes, but there was no point in dragging out this particular clash when the most critical part of the match lay ahead.
"Floette, return," he said naturally.
Ash recalled Floette not out of necessity, but because he wanted to preserve her for the final showdown. Even though he still had four Pokémon at his disposal, he wanted, for the first time, to debut Mega Floette in the Pokémon League. It was a risky move since he had only battled with Mega Floette once before, but he wanted to see just how much power she could unleash. Besides, with a four-Pokémon cushion, he could afford to take the risk.
"Get some good rest, I'll need you again soon," Ash muttered softly.
Taking a breath, he drew another Pokéball and, without hesitating for a moment, hurled it into the air with all his might.
"Blastoise, let's go!" he commanded.
Blastoise materialized with a heavy thud, firmly planting his weight onto the ground as he faced Espeon with absolute seriousness. Fatigue was visible on him, but he remained a seasoned veteran, possessing more than enough experience to hold his ground even in an unfavorable matchup.
Gary chose not to rush into a direct trade this time, opting for patience instead.
"Espeon, use Future Sight!" he ordered.
Psychic energy swirled around Espeon for a brief instant before vanishing into thin air, leaving a strange, heavy tension lingering over the field—like a looming threat that had yet to take physical form. Ash immediately understood what it meant, but he didn't back down. He knew this particular clash wouldn't last long.
"Blastoise, use Hydro Pump!" he countered.
The torrent of water blasted forward with immense power, forcing Espeon to move swiftly to avoid a head-on collision. Her evasion was clean, almost elegant, though it came at a cost. The sheer pressure of the attack had served its purpose: drawing a line in the sand and making it clear that Blastoise still had plenty of power left to decide the match if given the opportunity.
Gary maintained his composure.
"Espeon, use Psychic!" he commanded.
The telekinetic force slammed into Blastoise, forcing the massive Pokémon back several paces, but it failed to bring him down. His body absorbed the impact with stubborn resilience, enduring the blow in a manner far more fitting for a battle-hardened veteran than a Pokémon on his last legs.
The exchange continued without any flashy flair. Espeon struck swiftly and darted away, while Blastoise continuously tried to close the distance to force a heavy physical clash—one where his superior power could tilt the scales. Neither trainer was looking for a prolonged war of attrition anymore. It was evident in the way the Pokémon moved, and in the contained urgency behind every decision.
"THE PACE IS INCREDIBLY INTENSE!" Bob shouted.
"NEITHER OF THEM WANTS TO DRAG THIS OUT ANY LONGER THAN NECESSARY!" Carl chimed in.
Blastoise managed to gain ground inch by inch, relying on sheer persistence rather than speed. Every time Espeon repositioned, he took another step forward. Every time he took a hit, he responded by closing the gap. The available space was shrinking rapidly.
Gary realized the battle was hitting its turning point.
So did Ash.
"Blastoise, now! Use Hydro Cannon!" he ordered firmly.
The attack erupted with all of his accumulated power, tearing across the field as a definitive finishing blow. This time, Espeon didn't have enough room to fully maneuver out of the way. The impact connected squarely, sending her flying backward violently.
"A DIRECT HIT FROM ASH!" Bob exclaimed.
Espeon crashed hard, sliding across the dirt before coming to a halt, visibly battered. Yet, the exchange wasn't over. The lingering energy of Future Sight still hung over the field like an unpaid debt.
Blastoise had barely regained his balance after executing Hydro Cannon when the attack descended upon him. The overwhelming psychic pressure struck him full force, leaving no room for evasion or defense, finally shattering whatever stability he had left. The impact was brutal.
The entire stadium fell into a stunned silence.
Blastoise collapsed.
Espeon tried to push herself up, and Blastoise attempted to do the same. For a fleeting second, it looked as though one of them might manage it, but it was not to be; both crumpled back down almost simultaneously.
The referee raised his hand without a shred of hesitation.
"Both Blastoise and Espeon are unable to battle! It's a double knockout!" he declared firmly.
The crowd's reaction was instantaneous. It had been a brief exchange, yes, but far from empty. It was the kind of clash that left no room for doubt: two Pokémon pushed to their absolute limits, two trainers trying to accelerate the pace without compromising their standing, and a result that completely reshaped the battlefield.
Ash remained silent as he recalled Blastoise. He had made a crucial mistake: he had gotten careless. With four Pokémon remaining, his confidence had bloated into arrogance, leading him to believe the match was already securely in his hands. Fortunately, this brief skirmish had snapped him back to reality. This isn't a video game! Here, decisions carried weight, and some were entirely decisive. He couldn't afford to be arrogant just because he held a numerical advantage.
Luckily for him, this lesson in humility had arrived swiftly, and karma had acted fast. Otherwise, he might have thrown the entire match away out of pure overconfidence.
Conversely, Gary let out a heavy sigh. He was down to his very last Pokémon, while Ash still had three. Victory felt further away than ever, blocked by a mountain of obstacles. Winning at this stage seemed almost impossible, but as someone once said: once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. In other words... nothing is truly impossible.
With renewed determination, both trainers drew their next Pokéballs.
"Let's go, Dragonite! / Floette, I choose you!" both shouted in unison.
…
Meanwhile, up in the VIP box, all eyes remained glued to the arena below.
Celeste watched in silence, perfectly composed, as if everything was unfolding exactly as it should.
"The battle has been breathtaking. Ash truly is amazing," she murmured softly.
Beside her, her grandmother Aurora maintained her usual serene composure, though her sharp gaze didn't wander from the field for even a second.
"I agree with you, but he hasn't won just yet. Gary still has one Pokémon left. Even with the advantage... if Ash lets his guard down, he could still lose," she added in a measured tone.
"I know, but I have no doubts. Ash will win," Celeste stated firmly.
Aurora sighed softly. Truly, love was blind; Celeste wasn't even entertaining the possibility of Ash losing the match. Seeing there was no point in pushing further—since Celeste's faith in Ash was unshakeable and arguing would take all day—she simply turned her attention back to the battlefield.
Next to them, Roxanne nodded slightly, her eyes fixed on the arena.
"Your grandmother is right, Celeste. Gary still has one Pokémon left. I also believe Ash is going to win—I don't doubt it—but I hope he realizes the dangers he still faces if he gets too complacent. My only wish is for him to fight hard until the very end without getting cocky, because overconfidence rarely helps in a Pokémon battle," she commented sensibly.
Celeste nodded and focused back on the match. Beside her, Koharu and her mother were also staring intently at the battlefield, barely blinking.
"He'll definitely win," Koharu said with absolute certainty.
Sitting right next to her, her mother, Talia, gently placed a comforting hand on her arm.