The Fated Match
Chapter 8: The Fated Match
The next day of the tournament quickly arrived, and Nathan was more than ready to take on his opponents. He had risen early, going through some last minute preparations with Growlithe before heading to the stadium.
He was greeted by a familiar face at the entrance - Serena. She smiled when she saw him. "Good morning! I wanted to make sure I got here early so I could watch all the battles today," she said after moving over to him.
Nathan smiled back, glad he wasn't the only one excited for the tournament. "Me too! I'm already looking forward to my next fight."
Upon entering, he found that the stadium was already bustling with people. The atmosphere was electric, everyone was on the edge of their seat in anticipation for the battles that were to come today.
Nathan spotted Gary in his usual spot on the sidelines; a laid back expression on his face as he sat there waiting. The two of them exchanged greetings before taking a seat in the stands that provided a good view of the arena.
The host from the day prior appeared, signaling the restart of the tournament. A roar of excitement broke out from the crowd as the competition kicked off, with exciting battles that captivated everyone who was watching.
Nathan's hands trembled in excitement as he waited for his turn. His partner, Growlithe barked in anticipation of the upcoming fight, his tail wagging wildly as he sat next to him.
In the ring, trainers and their pokemon called out commands in a dizzying cacophony of battle cries. As he watched the matches from the sidelines, he took careful notes, jotting down pointers from each match that would help him devise his own strategy. Serena also helped him every step of the way, providing her own insights whenever possible.
The morning went on like this, until it was finally his name to be called up.
Nathan and Growlithe found themselves facing an unexpectedly formidable foe. However, relying on his ingenuity and clever tactic, they emerged victorious after a grueling fight. This winning streak continued as they progressed well into the semi-finals.
The semi-finals was an intense battle between two evenly matched trainers, but Nathan's swift decision making ultimately won him the match. The crowd erupted into cheers as the winner was announced, leaving both him and Growlithe fuelled by newfound confidence as they moved on towards the final round, ready to take on their toughest challenge yet.
The host called for a ten minute break, giving everyone a chance to catch their breath and prepare. The chatter rose in the stands as everyone discussed who would win the finals, some were even exchanging bets. Anticipation was building with each passing second.
Finally, the time came for the last match of the tournament. The host's voice boomed across the venue, calling for Gary and Nathan to enter the ring. As Nathan prepared to leave, Serena grabbed his arm and looked deep into his eyes.
"Good luck Nathan!" she said. Nathan smiled at her and drew her close in a brief hug before heading down toward the ring.
Everyone was eagerly awaiting the last match between Nathan and Gary. All eyes were fixed on the arena, and there was complete silence as both trainers stepped forward.
Gary smirked at Nathan, his hand hovering over his pokeball. "It's time to see who will come out on top."
"Indeed it is," Nathan replied, his voice firm and ready for battle.
"Let's make this 300th match one for the books."
A fierce determination passed over Nathan's face. "You can count on it."
They nodded to each other before bounding away to their respective corners of the arena. As they released their pokemon, the stadium roared with excitement. The outcome of this battle would soon be revealed. It was going to be an intense battle, that much was certain.
Nathan had Growlithe ready at his command, feeling a surge of adrenaline course through his body. For this battle he had come up with several back-up plans in the event that his main strategy didn't pan out.
"Growlithe, Ember!" A fierce stream of fire blasted from Growlithe's mouth, engulfing Gary's Wartortle in flames.
Gary responded quickly, calling out Wartortle to use Bubble, but Growlithe displayed amazing agility and managed to dodge them all.
"Flame Wheel!" Growlithe surged forward, ramming into Wartortle with a burning spin attack. The turtle Pokemon was sent flying from the impact but quickly regained its footing, barely taking any damage.
Gary glanced at Nathan triumphantly. "Don't you know Wartortle is resistant to fire-type attacks?" he said mockingly.
Nathan's jaw tightened. "Yes, I do. It's just that Growlithe doesn't know too many moves yet," he replied through gritted teeth.
"Well, now it's my turn!" Gary exclaimed with a flourish. "Wartortle, Rapid Spin!
Wartortle began to spin around the arena at lightning speed and Growlithe found itself right in its path of destruction. He took a step back, narrowly dodging the spinning shell.
Still, the force of the impact rocked the arena, and Nathan could feel how close Growlithe had come to being knocked out. He knew that he needed to come up with something fast or else he'd be in serious trouble.
At this moment, the large projector screen was displaying the clash between Growlithe and Wartortle just now. The commentator leaned forward in his seat and spoke into the mic with excitement. "It looks like Nathan is having a tough time dealing damage to Gary's Wartortle," he said. "Let's see what other options he has."
Nathan had a risky plan, but it was the only way he could think of to win. He knew that if Wartortle got the chance, they would be doomed.
"Growlithe! Smokescreen!" Nathan shouted, and Growlithe quickly did as he was told, releasing a dense cloud of black smoke which spread across the ring and blocked everyone's view.
Gary looked bewildered as Wartortle came to an abrupt stop in the middle of its attack, allowing Nathan to call out another command. This time, he shouted for Growlithe to use Bite – despite knowing full well that this could backfire terribly.
Nathan held his breath as Growlithe charged forward with a sharp Bite attack. The swiftness of the move was enough to surprise Wartortle and leave it wide open for Nathan's final move.
"Growlithe Take Down!"
Growlithe barreled head first into Wartortle with a fierce head-on tackle. The smoke had done the trick, giving Nathan the surprise element he needed to pull off the move and gain the upper hand.
Gary's eyes widened in shock as he watched his Pokemon take the full brunt of Growlithe's charge. His Wartortle was sent flying across the field, fainting upon impact with a loud thud.
The arena was silent as the referee declared Nathan the winner. Nathan dropped his head in relief and glanced up to Gary who stood still with wide eyes and a slack jaw – shocked at the sudden turn of events.
The audience cheered and clapped as they celebrated Nathan's win – an impressive feat considering Wartortle's resistance to fire-type attacks.
Nathan recalled his Growlithe and walked over to where Gary was standing, offering his hand. "You did great!"
Gary accepted the gesture hesitantly and smiled despite himself. "Thanks," he said, "but I'm still shocked you managed to pull that off."
Nathan shrugged modestly and flashed him a grin. "Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do!" he said jokingly before rejoining his cheering fans on the sidelines.
The crowd around Nathan erupted with applause and cheers as he took a bow before them, basking in the admiration of the crowd for a few precious moments. Meanwhile, Gary remained behind looking on with envy.
Once he was finished with his victory lap, Nathan waved goodbye to his fans and headed back towards Gary. "It was a good fight. I hope we can face off again someday," he said sincerely, offering his hand out once again in friendship.
Gary shook it firmly this time and gave him a nod of respect. "Likewise," he replied before turning towards the exit.
"Nathan!" A voice called out to him as he stepped out of the arena. Nathan turned to see Serena rushing towards him, her eyes gleaming with admiration and excitement. She wrapped her arms around him in an embrace and pulled away just as quickly.
"Congratulations on your win!" she said, beaming at him, "You were amazing back there."
Nathan grinned from ear to ear, feeling his heart swell with pride. "Thanks."
The two of them strode out side by side, discussing the match and their upcoming plans. Soon they arrived at the main stage, where everyone had already started to congregate for the award ceremony.
A man with gray hair, looking well-dressed in a brown suit and sporting a big smile, took the stage, ready to present Nathan with his trophy.
"It is an honor to be here tonight," Professor Oak began, "to bestow upon this young man the title of the champion of the Viridian Academy Tournament!" With a grand flourish, he presented Nathan with a small gold trophy.
Nathan struggled to keep his emotions in check as he accepted the trophy from Professor Oak's hands.
The professor smiled warmly, giving him an approving nod before saying, "Well done, Nathan. Stop by my lab tomorrow; I have another surprise for you."
"Thank you, sir," Nathan replied, smiling. He then turned towards the audience and raised the trophy triumphantly above his head.
=====
Short chapter this time cause I want to finish this tournament as quick as possible.