The battle started after 15 minutes and the arena was almost full. I guess they were using this fight to motivate youngsters.
The referee had called the challengers to the center and asked them to greet each other. Then they returned to their respective side of the field and took out their Pokemon.
(The one with charizard will be referred to as challenger 1 and the one with the blastoice will be referred as challenger 2)
"Go out, Blastoise." Challenger 1
"Show them what your made of Charizard." Challenger 2
They both roared at each other and had an immense pressure that made most of us want to crouch. The worst part is that the barriers were already erected and we would have trouble breathing without them.
The Blastoise was a large, bipedal, turtle-like Pokémon with a powerful and sturdy build. Its skin was a light blue color, contrasting with its cream-colored underbelly and dark brown shell with two metallic water cannons protrude from its shell over its shoulders.
The Charizard was a large bipedal, and looked like a dragon with a massive wingspan with a primarily orange body with a cream-colored underside and had a tail with a massive flame on it.
"3,2,1 GO!!!"
The referee signaled for the battle to start and the trainers had told their Pokemon to attack.
"Blastoise, 'Shell smash' then 'Hydro pump' "
"Charizard, Fly up and use 'dragon dance' "
The Blastoise used shell smash where it hit its shell a lot increasing its speed,sp.at and speed in exchange for reducing its defenses then it used the boosted hydro pump at the Charizard which it barely dodged and due to it dragon dancing twice.
"Charizard, 'Sunny day' then 'solar beam' "
(Yes, solar beam can be learned by Charizard through TM)
"Blastoise, Use 'Rain dance' then use 'Iron defense "
Both Pokemon set their respective weather effects which started clashing with each other trying the get better of the other.
Due to the intense sunlight on Charizard's side it used solar beam which activated almost instantly. It was a massive beam of grass energy almost 2 meters wide which hit the Blastoise at full force and was low on health and only just made it using iron defense.
"Charizard 'Flamethrower' "
"Blastoise keep using 'water pulse' "
The flamethrower was even wider than the solar beam—probably due to Charizard being a fire type and having a higher understanding of the move. It just barely managed to cancel to out the water pulse due to it having a higher mastery and both went back again.
But just then a stray water pulse hit Charizard and it flew back to reduce the impact.
But just then due to the weather clashing and taking a lot of energy they both subsided.
Not wanting to increase the pressure—Challenger 2 issued a command.
"Charizard, use 'aerial ace' then 'dragon claw' "
It then flew down with flying type energy covering its wings and draconic energy coated its claws.
"Blastoise, use 'skull bash' to defend"
It ducked and put its head inside its shell waiting for impact and then at the last second it rammed Charizard with all its might and won the standoff.
Charizard was slightly pushed back and seemed to be panting slightly with its tail not burning as fiercely as before.
"Charizard, it's time—use 'belly drum' then activate 'blaze'. "
My eyes widened at such a tactic—it would reduce its health to maximize its attack and force blaze to activate to make its self even stronger. This Charizard must be trained as a berserker type fighting style.
Charizard then roared loudly and started slashing its self with its claws maximizing its attack then due to its low health it used blaze which made its fire type attacks even stronger.
"Quick, Blastoise use 'shell smash' twice and get ready."
What? Why would he do that. Charizard is most likely going to use a physical fire type move to beat Blastoise in one-shot. Shell smash is just going make its defenses weaker.
"Why is Blastoise using 'shell smash'? Wouldn't that make it even more brittle and unable to tank the next attack" Nya asked me.
"I'm in the same boat as you but he propably has something that help defend it long enough to land a super-effective move as its attack and special attack is waaay higher now." I was confused too but I was sure the Blastoise trainer had a counter, otherwise he wouldn't be a pseudo-elite trainer now would he?
The blaze created flames on the floor and Charizard covered itself in flames. Everyone thought that this would be the last attack and it would win.
"Now, Charizard 'Flare blitz' full power."
Then it moved almost faster than my eye could register and reached within 2 meters of Blastoise in just 2 seconds.
By that time Blastoise had just finished 2 'shell smashes', Charizard was dangerously close and just before they collided— I saw Blastoise using some kind of move.
A massive explosion ensued and there was a loud BOOM that echoed.
After a few seconds my eyes were greeted with the sight of both Pokemon one the verge of collapse.
But that should have been impossible, It had reduced its defenses should NOT have been able to tank that…..unless it used 'endure' at the last second.
'Endure' is a move that I don't know much about here but in the games it was used to survive a move with an attack with only one hp remaining—but I thought that applies here though.
'Endure' must be move that relies on will power and made sense as to why Blastoise was still standing though on the brink of fainting.
"Now wrap this up 'Hydro cannon' "
Blastoise charged up possibly the most powerful water type move and released it on Charizard point blank.
'Hydro cannon' is basically the stronger version of 'hydro pump' and needs a lot of energy. The user also needs to recharge the next turn. This is an extremely deadly move if mastered and is recommended for the Pokemon to be atleast master 'Hydro pump' and be at King rank.
So it was no surprise Charizard fainted instantly and I fell kinda bad for it as even a water gun would have done the job.
The crowd went wild and the referee anounced the Blastoise Trainer as the winner.
"That was an AMAZING battle. Charizard was sooo cool. I hope when I become a trainer I can get one too." Kai said excitedly.
"That was a really smart tactic—that Blastoise is really strong." Nya said with practically sparkles in her eyes.
I laughed at both of their facial expressions and it didn't take long for them to hit my stomach at full force.
"OWW…..that HURT—no wonder you're siblings" I groaned in pain.
"That's what you get for laughing like that you douchebag" now Nya was the one laughing at my facial expression.
"NOW, EVERYONE QUIET DOWN." The referee shouted at the top of his lungs.
Everyone instantly became quiet.
He cleared his throat,"Ahm, Now that we are all behaving like civilized people now, The Champion himself—Lance Blackthorn will make a small speech."
(If you are wondering why Lance came to the league despite it being a completely different entity—it is because it his job to as champion to become a role models for trainers ensuring peace in the region.)
The Champion of the region and renowned Dragon Master, stepped forward. His presence alone commanded respect. His piercing gaze scanned the audience before he began speaking in a deep, commanding voice that carried across the entire stadium.
"Trainers, Pokémon enthusiasts, and citizens of our great region, let me first commend the incredible battle we just witnessed. Both Charizard and Blastoise exemplified the unbreakable bond between trainers and their Pokémon—a bond forged through trust, perseverance, and unwavering determination.
Today, you have all been reminded of the essence of what it means to be a trainer. It's not just about victory or strength. It's about growth, strategy, and pushing your limits alongside your Pokémon. Each battle is an opportunity to learn, to improve, and to deepen your connection with the creatures who choose to fight by your side.
But let me be clear, Pokémon battles are not the only path to greatness. Every individual in this region has the potential to contribute in their own unique way. Breeders, you nurture the next generation of strong and healthy Pokémon. Researchers, you uncover the mysteries of our world, helping us better understand the creatures we share it with. Rangers, you protect our natural habitats and ensure the harmony between humans and Pokémon.
No matter your calling, remember this, the strength of our region lies in our collective efforts. Whether you choose to stand in the arena, explore uncharted territories, or heal the injured at a Pokémon Center, your work is vital to our shared future.
To the aspiring trainers in the crowd, know that your journey will not be easy. You will face challenges, endure losses, and confront moments where giving up feels like the easier choice. But it is in those moments you must stand tall, as the strongest bonds and the greatest victories are born from perseverance.
And to everyone here, I ask you to support one another, to share your knowledge, and to never lose sight of the spirit of camaraderie that defines us. Together, we can build a region where humans and Pokémon thrive as one."
Every single person at the arena was deeply moved by his speech and it had clearly made a deep impression on the children as they all wanted to give it their all.
I truly understood why he deserved to be champion—battle prowess isn't the only that matters.
Then after than incredible day we had to get in cramped bus and complain about the several hour trip that followed.
————————————————————————————————————
The next day Kai and I went on our daily run in the morning and came right before breakfast and found Nya researching about the Pokemon license test.
It's basically a test made by the league that any person between 13-18 could register for and do a series of theoretical and practical tests that decide whether we were eligible for one or not.
Technically a person above 18 could register but they would not get the same benefits as someone who did it when they were teens.
This program was introduced by the league to make sure trainers are competent and capable enough to use Pokemon.
There are 3 rounds of the test. The first being a basic written test. The second being a mix of theory and practical and the last being purely practical. The scores you get on these test determine whether you will get these benefits or not.
You need an average of 60% across all the rounds. The higher the average percentage—the better sponsor you will get.
Pokemon sponsors are companies who invest in youngsters and provide them certain resources and they would be at their disposal and do missions for them.
Sponsors don't just randomly pick a person to sponsor...they need to be talented and make sure they would not betray their trust. Their support is invaluable to any aspiring trainer as well as other professions like being a ranger or a Pokemon medic.
The best current sponsors are The Devon corp, Prof.Oak and Silph Co. They have the harshest conditions to satisfy and around only 50 people get there in all 3 combined.
Conditions to get sponsers:
60%-70%: The bare minimum to pass the test and get a license without any sponsors. Though occasionally some very small companies would sponsor trainers with this average.
70%-85%: You can get small sized businesses sponsoring for you.
85%-95%: You can get medium sized to a chance to enroll in medical, ranger school etc.
95%+: You will get a sponsorship from an extremely high ranking company or be provided with benefits from institutes like the ranger academy.
If you want to get into the top 3 sponsors—you will have to pick which one of those are you hoping for and why. If they pick you you're going to have to go to the location they provide and do an extremely difficult test with only a 20% passing rate.
If you do complete all this, you will have access to a lot of different resources as well as rare Pokemon. Not only that you will be provided with an item custom to the company itself.
But for now I just decided to study with Nya to get as much knowledge as I can to help train my future Pokemon as well as ace that test.