The battle between Mr. Stone and Giovanni had already captivated the entire gym. Giovanni's Rhyhorn had defied all odds, taking down both Rhydon and Onix.
Now, with Dugtrio on the arena, the tension was at its peak.
Across from it, Giovanni's next Pokémon Golem stood like an unmovable boulder that can only be move using Push HM, its rocky shell gleaming under the stadium lights.
The crowd murmured in anticipation.
Professor Oak adjusted his glasses, whispering to General Alex, "Dugtrio is much faster, but i doubt he can penetrate Golem's defense. This will be interesting."
Alex nodded. "But it depends. If Stone makes the right calls, he might turn this around."
Little did they know, Giovanni wasn't planning on letting this battle drag on.
Giovanni, as calm as ever, placed his hands behind his back.
Then, with an eerily casual tone, he gave an unthinkable order.
"Golem, use Self-Destruct."
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
Professor Oak's eyes widened. "What?!"
General Alex clenched his fists. "He's going to blow up the entire arena?!"
Even Ray, acting as referee, was momentarily stunned. "Are you serious?!"
Mr. Stone's heart skipped a beat.
His mind raced.
Self-Destruct was one of the most devastating moves in a battle. It didn't matter how tough Dugtrio was, if it got hit, it would be over.
Without hesitation, he shouted his command.
"Dugtrio! DIG! NOW!"
Dugtrio immediately burrowed underground, its three heads disappearing in an instant.
The crowd held their breath, watching intently.
It was already too late.
A brilliant flash of light erupted from Golem's body.
BOOOOOM!
A massive explosion shook the entire gym.
The shockwave rippled outward, sending dust, rock, and debris flying in all directions.
The entire arena floor cracked apart, chunks of it breaking loose from the sheer force.
Even the walls of the gym trembled, and a few weaker supports cracked under the pressure.
For several moments, everything was covered in dust and smoke.
The audience coughed, trying to see through the thick cloud of debris.
Zen, who had been watching from the stands, had to shield his eyes. "That was insane…"
Even Professor Oak and General Alex looked stunned.
Professor Oak shouted"I can't believe he actually did it… Golem's Self-Destruct has completely destroyed the arena!"
"You stupid head Giovanni, he only cares about winning." Crused Sir Alex
As the dust finally began to clear, the arena was completely ruined, deep cracks, scattered debris, and chunks of rock littered the ground.
And in the center of it all...
Golem had collapsed, completely unconscious.
It had done its job.
But what about Dugtrio?
The crowd leaned forward, waiting to see if it had survived.
From the cracked ground, a small tremor.
A second later...
Dugtrio's heads weakly emerged from the dirt.
The entire crowd roared in excitement.
It had barely survived.
Ray, after making sure both Pokémon were completely unable to continue, raised his hand.
"Both Golem and Dugtrio are unable to battle! This round is a draw!"
The crowd erupted into cheers.
Even though Dugtrio had survived, it was too weak to continue.
Mr. Stone let out a breath, his mind still racing.
"That could have been the end… if Dugtrio was even a second fastrer, I still lost right there."
He looked across the arena at Giovanni.
Despite everything, Giovanni looked completely unfazed.
It was as if this had all gone exactly as he planned.
A shiver ran down Stone's spine.
"This man… is a monster."
Even so, he wasn't backing down.
He reached for his final Pokéball.
"This is it."
Giovanni, with the same calm expression, did the same.
Their final Pokémon were about to be revealed.
And the battle wasn't over yet.
_________
Stone 2-3 Giovanni
Morowak vs Nidoking or Dugtrio
Stay tune for next chapter