John couldn't resist a grin, feeling his nerves settle. "Awesome! Your Croconaw's fierce! You're going to be the future water-type trainer, Grace!"
Grace smirked back, her eyes blazing with ambition. "Elite-level, here I come."
John wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. Winning a street competition was one thing, but going Elite? That was a whole new level. Wasn't the next step supposed to be challenging the Gym Leader after winning the Riverstone University Grade Competition? But Grace never aimed low—she aimed high or nothing at all.
As they stepped off the battlefield, scattered applause echoed around them. The official match at Ember Lake Arena wouldn't begin for another half hour, just enough time for Croconaw to recover with a quick Super Potion. The Pokemon wasn't seriously injured, just a bit winded.
Across the arena, the team who'd claimed first place eyed John and Grace, planning their own strategy.
Max crossed his arms, a pensive look on his face. "Frogadier's lightning fast, and Croconaw's got raw strength. This won't be easy."
But Eve just shrugged. "We'll keep it simple.Target Croconaw first, then double-team Frogadier."
The earlier battle had shown Croconaw to be the powerhouse. If they took it down, Frogadier would be easy pickings.
Max pondered for a moment and then nodded. "Alright, let's do it."
As the half-hour passed, more spectators trickled into the arena—high school graduates, tourists, and locals, all eager for the showdown. The lakeshore was packed, buzzing with excitement.
The rest period ended, and both teams took their places.
"Now, for the finals at Ember Lake Arena!" the referee announced, raising his hand to quiet the crowd. "Trainers Eve and Max versus Trainers Grace and John! Each trainer may use one Pokemon. The match ends when both Pokemon on one side are unable to battle!"
"Now, release your Pokemon!"
With practiced synchronization, the trainers tossed their Pokeballs into the air. Four flashes of light erupted, revealing the chosen Pokemon.
John and Grace stuck with their winning combo—Frogadier and Croconaw. John didn't want to risk messing with success, and Grace didn't have any other Pokemon ready for battle.
On the other side, Eve and Max released their Pokémon: Azumarill and Chinchou.
Azumarill, the stout blue mouse with a knack for taking down dragons, earned its "Dragon Slayer" title with its powerful Fairy-type moves. Meanwhile, Chinchou's rare Electric-Water typing made it ideal for river battles.
The referee signaled, "Begin!"
"Azumarill, Ice Punch!" Eve commanded.
"Chinchou, Haze!" Max followed, both trainers acting in unison.
Azumarill dashed forward, its fist glowing with ice energy, punching the lake's surface and freezing patches of water around Frogadier and Croconaw. Simultaneously, Chinchou released a thick cloud of Haze, obscuring the battlefield and isolating the two Pokémon from each other.
John squinted through the fog. "Not this again…" he muttered. "Frogadier, move closer to Croconaw!"
"Frog!" Frogadier darted to the side, but Chinchou sent a Spark flying toward it, forcing it to leap back.
"Well, that worked…" John grimaced, acknowledging his opponents' quick thinking.
Before he could rally, Azumarill burst through the haze, its icy fist swinging at Frogadier. With lightning reflexes, Frogadier jumped back just in time.
John smirked. "Nice try, but you'll have to do better."
"Don't let it get away! Keep up the Ice Punch!" Eve urged.
Azumarill pressed forward, icy fists flying. Frost filled the air around Frogadier as the relentless strikes came closer and closer. John could tell that Azumarill was beyond determined to land a hit.
Meanwhile, Grace had her hands full with Chinchou. Croconaw, paralyzed by an earlier Thunder Wave, struggled to move, its limbs sluggish under the electric effect.
"Come on, Croconaw! We need you!" Grace urged, waiting for the right moment.
Max signaled Chinchou, "Thunder Shock!"
Electricity surged from Chinchou's lantern-like antennae, zipping across the field toward Frogadier. With Azumarill pressuring from the front and Chinchou's long-range attacks, dodging was getting harder for Frogadier.
"Let Chinchou close in!" Eve called. "We'll trap Frogadier from both sides!"
Max nodded, realizing too late that their strategy might have a flaw. John and Grace were both biding their time, waiting for an opening.
As the battle raged on, the crowd leaned in, eyes glued to the action, sensing that this clash would go down to the wire.