Finale

As the bright morning sunlight bathed the grand stage, the Wallace Cup finally reached its climax. The sixteen qualifying contestants would compete in double battles to vie for the ultimate championship.

The list of sixteen qualifying contestants had been announced immediately after the matches concluded the previous day, including Robert, Kris, Solidad, Suzuye, and Violet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the moment we've all been waiting for has arrived. Now, let's take a look at the matchups for the battles. Please look at the big screen."

Vivian's cheerful and bright voice resonated in the arena, and at the same time, eight pairs of battle listings appeared on the large screen behind her.

The first pair was Suzuye vs. Violet.

The fourth pair was none other than Robert vs. Kris.

It had to be said that this grouping was full of coincidences.

Seeing that she was paired up against her cousin right from the start, Kris felt some pressure but also a strong desire to prove herself.

"Robert, I'll definitely defeat you!" Kris clenched her fist and said to Robert.

Robert smiled and replied, "I'll be looking forward to it!"

"Now, let's invite the contestants from the first group to come forward!"

As Vivian's words fell, Suzuye and Violet entered the stage from opposite sides, ready for their imminent battle.

However, what the audience didn't expect was that Violet, who had performed exceptionally well in the first round, was defeated by Suzuye in just two rounds.

Violet's Walrein and Vaporeon were overwhelmed as soon as they faced Suzuye's Clefable and Gallade, with no chance to fight back. They lost not only their points but also their ability to battle.

But Yuiga wasn't surprised by this result at all. Violet's Pokémon were of a lower level, and her commanding ability was far inferior to Suzuye's. Compared to Suzuye, she had no chance of competing for performance scores.

After Violet left the stage, her older sister Daisy and younger sister Lily went up to comfort her. Violet herself seemed relatively calm, but Lily, who was in the audience, burst into tears.

The second group featured the trainer who had scored higher than Kris and Solidad in the first round. His performance was also impressive. Although he didn't dominate like Suzuye, he almost depleted his opponent's score when more than half of the points remained.

After the third group, it quickly came to the fourth group where Robert and Kris were matched up.

Once the two of them took the stage, Robert solemnly said to Kris, "Kris, give it your all. I won't hold back."

Initially, Kris was a bit nervous when facing her cousin on the opposite side. However, when she heard Robert's words, her inner turmoil suddenly calmed down.

To Kris, Robert had always been the "kid from the other family" that her parents often mentioned, and he was the person she had admired and looked up to. But when they stood on the same stage, Kris realized that she and her cousin were closer than she had thought.

Closer than ever before!

Kris raised two of her Poké Balls with a smile, "Perfect, I will too!"

As the match began, both trainers simultaneously released their Pokémon. Robert sent out Mismagius and Gyarados, while Kris sent out Dedenne and Milotic.

Kris, who made the first move, had her Milotic unleash a powerful stream of water, while Dedenne's body emitted a blue electric light, which quickly merged with the golden water flow in the air to create a dazzling golden-blue electric torrent.

The electric-type move Thunderbolt was launched straight towards Gyarados.

Gyarados, being a water and flying-type Pokémon, was highly vulnerable to electric-type attacks. When the electrified water flow approached it, it slightly retreated, and Mismagius rushed forward.

Mismagius's eyes glowed with a bright purple light, and it used its psychic move to control the water flow that was heading for Gyarados. The water flow changed its trajectory and struck Milotic directly.

Milotic wanted to hide, but the speed of the Mismagius was too fast. When the water hit Milotic, the electric light inside poured into it.

Milotic let out a cry of pain.

Dedenne tried to approach and help, but Gyarados's Intimidate ability suddenly activated, not only intimidating it but also allowing an Aqua Tail to strike it to the side.

In a face-off, Kris's score began to drop rapidly.

At this moment, Kris realized that Robert was even stronger than she had thought. With her current abilities, defeating her cousin Robert seemed like an impossible task.

Simultaneously, she also realized that being a Coordinator was much more challenging than she had imagined.

Although Kris's Dedenne was small in size, it had an astonishing amount of stored electricity. As a result, Milotic suffered heavily, its body charred, and its once beautiful scales lost their appeal.

"Milotic, use Aqua Ring; Dedenne, protect Milotic!"

Despite recognizing the gap between herself and her cousin, Kris remained calm and gave commands to Dedenne and Milotic.

However, Robert wasn't going to give Milotic a chance to use Aqua Ring.

"Gyarados, Scary Face; Mismagius, Ominous Wind!"

As Robert's command fell, a terrifying expression appeared on Gyarados's face, making its already fearsome appearance even more horrifying.

Dedenne was petrified by this, unable to move at all.

At this moment, Mismagius unleashed an eerie wind, and Dedenne was blown away by this strange gust of wind.

With Dedenne, the protective screen, gone, Milotic, which hadn't completed its Aqua Ring recovery, was struck head-on by Gyarados and lost its ability to battle.

With a thud, Kris's score bar hit rock bottom, and Robert emerged victorious.

After the match, Kris congratulated Robert with a smile, but the next moment, she burst into tears and hugged Robert. Robert didn't know what to say and could only pat her on the back to comfort her.

After Kris finished crying, wiped away her tears, and smiled at Robert, she said, "You must win the championship, or I won't let you off the hook!" She even raised her fist toward Robert.

Robert patted her on the head and replied firmly, "I will, for sure!"

The battle matches had a time limit. If neither side was defeated within five minutes, the contestant with more remaining points would win. As a result, the eight sets of matches progressed quickly.

Solidad's match took place in the seventh set, and she won quite handily. Her strength played a part, but her opponent's weakness was another contributing factor.

After the round of eight matches, it was time for the semifinals in the afternoon.

During the lunch break, Kris, in an attempt to vent her frustration after losing in the morning, indulged in eating and drinking excessively. She consumed as much food as both Yuiga and Robert combined.

This was probably her way of turning sorrow into appetite!

At two o'clock in the afternoon, the semifinal matchups were as follows:

- Suzuye vs. Solidad

- Robert vs. Clover

Suzuye, being the popular favorite of the Wallace Cup, received cheers and support from most of the audience. In contrast, Solidad felt the pressure as if she had entered someone else's home turf.

Suzuye's Pokémon for this battle were Gallade and Gothitelle, both Psychic-types. Solidad's team consisted of Slowpoke and Butterfree.

As soon as Butterfree appeared, it used a widespread attack move, Bug Buzz. The rapidly vibrating sound waves in a fan shape struck Gallade and Gothitelle, without affecting Slowpoke in the least. The control over the attack was evident.

Normally, Bug Buzz would be challenging to defend against, but Gothitelle had an inherited ability – Magic Bounce. When the sound waves hit Gothitelle, they were immediately condensed into a beam of light and redirected back towards Butterfree.

Slowpoke had quickly erected a light screen in front of Butterfree, but the amplified Bug Buzz beam pierced through it, and Butterfree was sent flying.

At that moment, the score bars of both contestants began to rapidly decrease.

As Butterfree was sent flying, Slowpoke's Heal Pulse landed on it, but Butterfree survived while Slowpoke revealed a weakness.

In an instant, Gallade appeared next to Slowpoke using Teleport and launched a Night Slash on it, while Gothitelle's Dark Pulse also hit it.

Being hit simultaneously by two Dark-type moves that countered it, Slowpoke's fate was evident. It fell to the ground, and Solidad's score bar hit rock bottom.

Suzuye emerged victorious and advanced to the finals.

The match between Robert and Clover was even more exciting than the one between Suzuye and Solidad. Clover's strength surpassed Robert's expectations.

Robert's team consisted of Claydol and Gyarados this time, while Clover's team consisted of Granbull and Lopunny.

Clover's Granbull and Lopunny were the same Pokémon he had used in the first round, and back then, their performance had been mediocre. However, after witnessing his battle with Robert, everyone realized that Clover had hide his strength.

Both Granbull and Lopunny were incredibly strong!

As soon as Granbull entered the field, it used Play Rough and charged aggressively towards Robert's Gyarados.

Gyarados excelled in physical attacks, and with its imposing figure, no one thought Granbull could win in a strength contest.

However, the reality was that they were evenly matched!

Granbull, glowing with a pink aura, collided head-on with Gyarados's iron tail, engaging in a showdown of strength.

Meanwhile, Lopunny used its powerful legs to effortlessly jump into the air and executed High Jump Kick, sending Robert's Claydol flying.

This graceful-looking Lopunny was, in fact, a powerhouse, boasting astonishing strength. If Claydol hadn't had high defenses and resisted the Fighting-type move High Jump Kick, the outcome would have been far worse.

By the way, in Yuiga's Insight ability, this Lopunny was undoubtedly a male.

Claydol found itself at a disadvantage, causing Robert's score bar to decrease significantly.

When Lopunny was about to land another kick on Claydol, the latter reacted quickly and used Gravity, pinning the airborne Lopunny to the ground. It then followed up with a powerful Earth Power.

With Lopunny immobilized by Gravity, it couldn't evade the attack, and Claydol's Earth Power hit it squarely. Lopunny was sent flying towards Granbull, breaking the previously even balance. Granbull was also knocked away.

Unfortunately, Claydol's Gravity move wasn't as potent as Yuga's Chimecho, and it could only maintain the effect for a moment. Otherwise, Lopunny would have already exited the field.

With Lopunny and Granbull sent flying, Gyarados, now free from their interference, launched a Waterfall at them. It hit both Pokémon, resulting in a double knockout.

After this series of coordinated attacks by Claydol and Gyarados, Clover's score bar dropped rapidly, but Robert also lost some points. However, Robert maintained a significant advantage.

Lopunny and Granbull, both seemingly focused on physical training, managed to stand up nonchalantly after enduring this series of attacks.

Then, Granbull suddenly grabbed one of Lopunny's long ears, spun around, and hurled it towards Gyarados not far away.

Leveraging the power of Granbull, the airborne Lopunny attempted to execute a High Jump Kick aimed at Gyarados' head. A direct hit from this kick would have resulted in a catastrophic outcome.

However, the clever Gyarados immediately used Hurricans and Hydro Pump, creating an invisible vortex and a soft water column around itself. When Lopunny kicked, it landed on the intangible combination of wind and water, causing no harm to Gyarados. Instead, it was hit by Claydol's Hyper Beam and tumbled to the ground.

*Dong!* Time was up! Clover's score bar was shorter than Robert's, and Robert advanced to the finals.

In the finals, it was Robert versus Suzuye, a rematch between two Top Coordinator after two years.

Before the final match, both contestants had an hour of rest.

...

The match quickly resumed. Looking at Robert on the opposite side, Suzuye smiled and said, "We're standing on the same stage again! But this time, I won't lose!"

After saying this, she released her Pokémon, Gallade and Clefable. Interestingly, these were the same two Pokémon she had used when she lost to Robert previously.

On the contrary, Robert didn't use Milotic this time. Instead, he sent out Mismagius and Claydol.

His Milotic had already reached the Elite level. If he used it against Suzuye, the result would be obvious, and that's not what he was looking for. He sought more than just victory in this match.

Unlike previous matches, Robert decided to take the initiative this time, with Mismagius and Claydol leading the way.

Mismagius used Power Gem, while Claydol used Improsson.

A golden beam of light shot straight at Gallade, who tried to use Teleport to dodge it but suddenly found herself unable to use the move. The effects of the Improsson move prevented both Gallade and Claydol from using the overlapping part of their Psychic-type moves. Unfortunately, they were both Psychic-type Pokémon.

Clefable, standing beside Gallade, didn't anticipate that Gallade, usually agile, would be unable to avoid this move. It didn't take any defensive action and watched helplessly as Gallade was engulfed by the golden beam formed by Power Gem.

In just one round of battle, Suzuye's score bar dropped significantly.

When Gallade appeared back on the field in a sorry state, Clefable wanted to use Heal Pulse on it. However, Claydol was faster and used Recovery Block. Clefable's Heal Pulse became ineffective.

While Clefable was still wondering why its Heal Pulse hadn't worked, Mismagius's Power Gem was ready again. This time, the target was Clefable.

Because Clefable was distracted and didn't think to evade or defend, it was pushed aside by the injured Gallade. Gallade once again found itself engulfed by the golden beam of Power Gem.

Due to consecutive losses, Suzuye's score bar dropped to less than half.

Seeing the situation on the field, Suzuye was momentarily unsure of how to react. She had worked so hard all this time to defeat Robert, right? But why was the situation different from what she had expected? Robert had become even more formidable.

If she hadn't received the news that Robert would participate in the Wallace Cup, Suzuye wouldn't have even bothered to compete in this competition. Given her current status in the Pokémon, she didn't need to participate in the Wallace Cup at all.

But she had come, and the results were completely different from what she had imagined. Robert, who had been silent for two years, had become even more dazzling. Only Suzuye knew how much effort she had put in to defeat Robert.

Indeed, Gallade had decent Special Defense and had been trained in that aspect, so even after taking two hits from Power Gem, it still managed to stand somewhat unsteadily.

Seeing their significant score deficit, Gallade and Clefable exchanged a glance and decided to go all out.

First, Clefable used its Spotlight on itself. Under the influence of the Spotlight, both Mismagius and Claydol began targeting Clefable, unaffected by Robert's commands.

When Mismagius and Claydol launched their attacks with Power Gem and Earth Power, respectively, Clefable used Instant Amnesia to enhance its Special Defense.

While Clefable drew their attention, Gallade discreetly used Swords Dance to strengthen its offensive capabilities. Once it maxed out the Attack boost, despite Clefable taking some damage, Clefable also maxed out its Special Defense due to Instant Amnesia.

The coordinated efforts of Clefable and Gallade caused Robert's score bar, which had initially been full, to decrease significantly. However, Suzuye's score bar also dropped by a considerable margin.

Gallade, having trained in secret, swung a massive Psycho Cut at Mismagius, which had no good physical defense. This attack severely wounded Mismagius, nearly preventing it from getting back up.

However, before Gallade could relish in its success, Mismagius immediately used Pain Split, equally dividing its and Clefable's health points. Suzuye watched helplessly as Mismagius's health recovered while Clefable's weakened.

Feeling the effects of Pain Split, Gallade, despite maxing out its Attack boost, hesitated in attacking. Hesitating meant hitting Mismagius and effectively hurting itself.

Gallade was tormented psychologically by the impact of Pain Split. It felt as though it was torturing itself. It couldn't imagine facing Ghost-type Pokémon in the future.

In the end, Suzuye still lost. Gallade was finally hit by Mismagius. She had thought Mismagius's Pain Split was frightening enough, but an even more dreadful ability was yet to come.

Originally, Gallade was going to attack Claydol. However, Mismagius interfered and fell, causing Gallade, with its terrible physical defense, to collapse as well. But in the moment it fell, its Destiny Bond move activated. Gallade had no idea what had happened as it lost consciousness.

Suzuye lost the match because even though both Mismagius and Gallade fell, her score bar dropped to zero. She looked at the fallen Gallade and Mismagius and thought to herself, "I really hate Ghost-type Pokémon!"

And with that, the Wallace Cup came to an end, with Robert claiming the championship!