"Change of plan!"
Jason's voice cut through the stalemate—no longer merely calm, but ringing with decisive authority.
"Forget the dog! Gast, Iron Valiant—focus all fire on Espathra!"
It shocked everyone. Abandon suppressing the more threatening physical bruiser to focus a special attacker? Not textbook optimal. A flicker of doubt crossed Tulip's eyes—then she caught it: he meant to force a 2v1 as fast as possible.
"Is he insane?" flashed through her mind. With both Iron Valiant and Gast over half spent, calling Close Combat in that state was a high-stakes bet. His wager was the reaction window—faster than they could adjust.
"Rrr!"
Iron Valiant answered first—ignoring the hounding Houndstone, his body became a streak of white, straight at the distant Espathra. Fighting energy flared madly along his blades—the purest, most violent opening.
"Heh!"
Gast moved too—fully emerging from shadow, dropping all dancing and feints. She raised both hands; a Shadow Ball larger and darker than any before swelled between her palms. Shadow energy from the air flocked to it, pooling her remaining strength into one shot.
Boom!
The sphere launched, a ruinous comet, outpacing and screaming for Espathra's face.
Tulip's face blanched. "Espathra—Protect!" The bird felt it too—cutting its attack to throw up a wall.
Ryme's call snapped in the same breath—she'd read Jason and went to cut off the support: "Houndstone—now! Shadow Claw that tin can!"
Houndstone peeled off, diving at Iron Valiant's exposed flank—saw a back turned and took the ambush.
Both leaders reacted fast—and right.
Jason was still faster.
"Gast—fire, then Protect!"
His order landed almost in sync with theirs. As she hurled the Shadow Ball, Gast didn't pause—arms snapping back to cross before her; a perfect green shield flowered in the same instant, wrapping her whole form.
Houndstone's "gotcha" claw slammed into her guard.
Clang!
The strike was stoned cold. It didn't touch Iron Valiant—and the whiff froze Houndstone for a heartbeat.
"What—?" Ryme's pupils shrank. He'd seen through her gambit and had Gast pre-position her shield between dog and knight. A command from the gods.
And that one blocked beat decided the endgame.
Tulip's Espathra had Protected to block the incoming Shadow Ball—rooting it in place. Iron Valiant was already there.
"It's over," Jason said softly. "Close Combat."
No holding back. The first punch sank into Espathra's gut—folding it backward. The second kick took its knee—balance gone. Then blade sweep, elbow crash, knee spike—each blow to a killing spot—rage and battle-fire poured into one isolated target.
Under the gale of strikes, Espathra fell back, helpless; Speed meant nothing under absolute force. A final, Fighting-charged uppercut cracked its jaw—
Thud!
The big body spun twice and crashed, out cold. Two-on-one—achieved.
"Haa—haa—" Iron Valiant dropped to one knee, chest heaving. Chaining Protect and Close Combat tore chunks from his stamina. His metal shell was scored with battle-scrapes. Across the way, Gast let her shield drop—also clearly taxed.
But they'd done it—before Houndstone's killshot could be primed, they deleted its partner.
"Beautiful," Jason said—the highest praise.
Ryme looked from the fallen Espathra to the lone Houndstone, silent a moment—then laughed. "Ha—got me good, kid. The most 'illogical' route to the most logical result. Your calling keeps surprising this old lady."
Tulip quietly recalled Espathra. She looked at Jason—no longer appraising, now simply grave. She knew: the loss was well earned.
"Your turn," Jason said, eyes settling on the last Pokémon.
Houndstone felt twin pressures close; it scraped the ground, growling low.
"Don't be scared, baby," Ryme soothed. "Alone or not, our power's never been stronger." Her gaze sharpened again. "Let them hear it—the requiem for our fallen. Houndstone—Last Respects!"
The final fight began.
Purple flame atop the hound's head flared; an unprecedented ghostly power exploded from within. Its eyes glowed ominous red. Mimikyu, Gallade, Espathra—three fallen allies—their "weights" all poured into it. Last Respects power stacked to a terrifying 200.
"Awooo!"
Houndstone howled; its huge form spun into a gray death-tornado and ripped at the nearest: Iron Valiant.
Jason didn't blink. "Iron Valiant—everything you've got—Psycho Cut!" "Gast—Confuse Ray!"
Iron Valiant braced, blades crossed, violet psychic light surging into a wall of edge. Gast's eyes flashed twin prismatic beams—Confuse Ray—pinning Houndstone's head.
The charging hound stuttered—eyes glazing for a breath. Confusion tweaked its line a hair—just enough.
BOOM!
Power-200 Last Respects smashed into Psycho Cut—energy detonated, blowing the floor up in waves. When the smoke thinned, Iron Valiant knelt in tatters—but upright. Houndstone, its aim spoiled by confusion and too little focus, lost the clash—slamming to the ground, out.
Round two—over.
Jason's side—again, victorious.
The gym went dead quiet. Ryme and Tulip stared at the empty field, saying nothing. They had lost—and wholly accepted it. Beyond superhuman calling, what shook them most was the trust and harmony between the Trainer and his Pokémon.
"Hoo—" Jason exhaled long and slow. He looked at his two partners—spent but eyes still bright—and smiled.
Two in a row.
But he knew—the real war was ahead.
No whistle blew—there was no ref here. Iron Valiant's blade dimmed; he swayed and forced himself up from that long kneel. Armor on chest and back was gouged and dented; arcs sparked weakly at a few joints. Two high-intensity fights—especially eating a capped Last Respects—had pushed him to the brink.
Gast wasn't much better—hovering dimmer than before, breathing hard, even her trademark grin drooping. She'd shouldered almost all the harass and pin—energy burned down.
Jason's brow tightened. Two straight wins looked glorious; only he knew how narrow, and how costly. Both were over half drained—and mental focus was fraying.
Opposite, Ryme and Tulip wore no surprise or levity now—only a mix of gravity and respect. They recalled their second pair and, wordless, drew their third balls. Their posture said it: warm-ups were done. Now—the true duel.
"Kid—you and your Pokémon have my respect." For the first time, Ryme's voice carried no playful flow—low and firm. "So, in return, we'll bring everything to crush you. Ready?"
Tulip said nothing—only met Jason's eyes as an equal—and tossed her ball.
Twin white flares lit the floor. Ryme sent Banette—a discarded rag doll stuffed with hate, zipper-mouth clamped shut, pinned through with nails, reeking of malice. Tulip sent Farigiraf—a long-necked giraffe with a second, vicious black head on its tail; the main head mild, the tail-head vicious—both sets of eyes fixing on the exhausted pair.
One seething, one uncanny.
"Trouble," Jason's mind raced. Banette—Ghost, high physical Attack, often with Prankster for priority status moves—likely here too. Farigiraf, Normal/Psychic, with Chew Cud or Armor Tail. Armor Tail makes the entire team immune to priority moves—nightmare fuel for priority-reliant squads.
One status/control, one controller/artillery—a classic, refined pair.
The fight started while he thought.
"Banette—send a gift!" Ryme's call was slick and cruel. "Will-O-Wisp on the Iron Valiant!"
Banette's zipper mouth snapped wide; a blue flame shot out—not at Gast, but at the already-weakened Iron Valiant. Too fast, too sharp an angle. Fresh wounds slowed his reflex—no time to dodge.
Pff.
Flame kissed his chest and vanished—leaving a baleful blue halo.
Burn.
When it rains, it pours. Already weakened, Iron Valiant now halved in physical power—a death sentence for his damage output. Jason's heart sank.
And that was only the start.
Tulip's follow-up stitched seamlessly. "Farigiraf—Twin Beam!"
~~~
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