章 5: Tiara vs Max
I felt my competitive spirit surge through me as I locked eyes with Tiara. "Alright, Houndour, let's show them what we've got!"
Tiara nodded, her expression focused. "Leafeon, I trust you. Let's give it our all!"
The crowd roared in excitement as the battle commenced.
"Leafeon, start with Leaf Blade!"
Leafeon leaped forward, its leaf-like blades shimmering as it charged toward us. The speed was impressive, but I had a plan.
"Houndour, use Incinerate!"
Houndour unleashed a torrent of flames, the heat intensifying as it raced toward Leafeon. The fire streaked through the air, illuminating the arena. Tiara's eyes widened, but she quickly regained her composure.
"Leafeon, pull back! Then use Magical Leaf!"
Leafeon gracefully leapt back, dodging the flames with ease. As it landed, it summoned a flurry of glowing, leaf-shaped projectiles that spiraled through the air toward Houndour.
"Houndour, use Ember to burn it!"
Houndour released a burst of fiery embers, igniting the air as they sped toward the Magical Leaf projectiles. The two attacks collided, sending sparks flying in all directions. The crowd gasped at the display of power.
The glowing leaves scattered, some bursting into flames while others continued their path toward Houndour. It narrowly dodged one of the projectiles, but a few still clipped its side, causing Houndour to yelp in pain.
"Tch... Keep your distance, Houndour!"
"Oh no, you don't. Leafeon, use Quick Attack!"
Tiara's voice cut through the chaos as Leafeon darted forward in a blur, taking advantage of Houndour's momentary distraction.
"Houndour, use Incinerate on the ground!"
Houndour unleashed a torrent of fire that erupted from the ground, creating a wall of flames that separated it from Leafeon. The crowd erupted in cheers as the heat radiated through the air, causing Leafeon to halt its charge.
"Leafeon, you need to stay nimble! Use your agility to dodge around!"
"Houndour, use Smog!"
Houndour belched forth a thick, choking cloud of toxic smoke, enveloping the arena and obscuring visibility. The crowd roared with excitement as the arena turned into a haze of darkness and swirling embers.
"Leafeon, use Leaf Storm!"
Leafeon sprang into action, twirling gracefully as it conjured a powerful whirlwind of leaves. The swirling vortex cut through the smoke, creating a sharp gust that began to disperse the fog. Leaf blades flew in every direction, and I could see Houndour's silhouette struggling to evade the barrage.
"Houndour, stay low and keep moving!"
Houndour crouched down, dodging several of the spinning leaves, but a few caught its flank, forcing it to wince in pain.
Come on, Max. Think of something... Why am I losing to a Grass-Type Pokemon?
I glance at Tiara and saw the small smile tugging on her lips. "Show me your way of thinking, Max."
The challenge in her eyes pushed me to dig deeper. I needed to outsmart Tiara, to find a way to turn this battle around.
"Houndour, use Nasty Plot!"
Houndour's eyes sparkled with confidence as it focused on gathering energy, its dark aura intensifying.
"Leafeon, don't let it charge up! Use Leaf Blade!"
Leafeon rushed forward, its blades gleaming in the arena lights. The moment felt electric.
"Houndour, brace yourself and then dodge!" I called out.
Houndour focused its energy, but as Leafeon approached, it quickly rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the slicing attack. The heat from Houndour's gathered energy shimmered in the air.
"Now, Houndour! Use Fire Fang!"
Houndour sprang into action, its jaws glowing with fiery energy as it lunged toward Leafeon. The crowd gasped, sensing the shift in momentum.
"Leafeon, quick! Use Quick Attack!"
But Houndour was already in motion. With a powerful leap, it closed the distance, its fiery fangs aimed directly at Leafeon. Just as it was about to strike, Tiara's command rang out, and Leafeon dashed forward in a blur.
The two Pokémon collided in a dramatic display of power. Houndour's Fire Fang clashed against Leafeon's Quick Attack, creating a burst of energy that sent them both skidding backward. The impact resonated through the arena, drawing gasps from the audience.
"Houndour, get back on your feet!"
"Leafeon, follow up with Leaf Blade!"
But before Leafeon can move, a burst of flame emits from it, causing it to stagger backwards.
Tiara's eyes widened in concern. "It got burn? "Leafeon, are you okay?"
Leafeon shook itself off, but the burn was evident as it winced slightly.
"Houndour, It's time to finish this! Prepare to be scorched!"
Houndour, now fueled by its confidence and the burn it had inflicted on Leafeon, took a deep breath and lunge forward. The fire illuminated the arena as it surged toward Leafeon, who was struggling to stay on its feet.
"Leafeon, no!" Tiara shouted, her voice filled with urgency. "Dodge, and use Leaf Blade!"
Leafeon made a valiant effort, attempting to leap to the side. But the pain from its burn was slowing it down. I could see the Houndour approaching rapidly, and it was clear that Leafeon wouldn't be able to avoid the attack completely.
"Now, Houndour! Aim for the ground beneath it! Incinerate!"
With that command, Houndour redirected its attack. The flames erupted from the ground, engulfing Leafeon and creating a brilliant display of fire and light. The crowd erupted in cheers, the excitement palpable as they witnessed the climactic moment of the battle.
"Leafeon, hang on!" Tiara cried out, desperation creeping into her voice. But it was too late. The intensity of Houndour's Incinerate overwhelmed Leafeon, causing it to collapse to the ground.
The referee stepped forward, raising his flag high. "Leafeon is unable to battle! The winner is Houndour!"
The arena erupted into cheers and applause. Tiara calls her Leafeon back to its Pokeball and smile. "You fought brilliantly, Leafeon."
She then looks at me with a smile. "Before I go, I wanted to ask you something, what's your goal in this tournament?"
"My goal?" I gather my thoughts for a moment. What's my goal in this tournament? "I don't know, maybe I just wanted to prove myself."
Tiara nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Proving yourself is a great goal. It shows that you're not just in it for the trophies, you want to grow as a trainer. I can respect that."
"That's it folk! Max the newcomer is advancing to the semifinals!"
The announcer's voice boomed through the arena, and the crowd erupted into cheers once more. Houndour barked excitedly, tail wagging furiously.
...
I'm back at the waiting area again, staring at the tournament bracket. I'm on the semifinals now, I still don't know who am I facing next, maybe I'll go back to the stands and watch the next match with Ella.
I made my way back to the stands, scanning the crowd for Ella. She waved excitedly as I approached. "Max! That was incredible! I can't believe you took down Tiara like that!"
"Yeah, put all the credits to my Houndour, he was a good fighter."
"You really pulled it off! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Your strategy was brilliant, especially with that last Incinerate."
"It was intense. Tiara was tough, and I wasn't sure I could handle her Leafeon at first. Imagine me losing against her, and more importantly she was using a Grass-Type which I had the advantage."
As we settled into our seats, the announcer's voice boomed again, drawing our attention back to the arena. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are now ready for the next quarterfinal match! Please welcome our competitors!"
The crowd erupted into cheers as two trainers made their way to the arena. I leaned forward, trying to get a better look at the competitors. One of them was a trainer I recognized from earlier rounds, Derek, the one with the Charizard. I had seen his matches, and he was known for his aggressive tactics and raw power.
If somehow he becomes my opponent in the semi finals, I'm probably losing. My Houndour is strong but it's still lack of experience, so fighting a fully evolved Pokemon is a losing game.
"And in this corner, we have Derek, with his blazing Charizard! A firestorm of talent!"
The crowd erupted into cheers, and I felt a chill run down my spine. I glanced at Ella, and she glance back at me to ask. "What do you think? Could Houndour take on a Charizard?"
"Nah, I'll lose."
"Come on, Max, don't say that! You've seen how well Houndour performed against Tiara. You just need to think strategically."
"Strategically? Derek's Charizard is a fully evolved Fire-Flying type. Houndour is strong, but it's still a baby in comparison,"
The announcer's voice cut through my thoughts. "And in the other corner, we have another newcomer with incredible potential, Arson!"
The crowd erupted into cheers again as Arson made his way into the arena. I had seen him in earlier rounds, and he had a reputation for being unpredictable and skilled with his Pokémon.
"Arson's a tough trainer too," Ella murmured to me. "He might be the underdog in this match, but he's not to be underestimated."
"Yeah, sure." I put my hands on the back of my head and lean on the chair. "Wake me up when the match is finish. I'm ready to lose."
Ella rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips. "You can't keep saying that! You need to believe in yourself. You've already made it this far!"
"Right, Max. You need to believe in yourself."
I opened my eyes slightly to saw who's voice is it. Tiara is standing beside me with a smile. "Can I sit here?"
"Sure, take a seat," I said, shifting a little to make room for her.
Tiara sat down, her expression brightening as she watched the two trainers in the arena. "That was an amazing battle back there. You really impressed me with your strategy."
"Yeah? Thanks, Houndour did all the job."
"Are you sure you just started your journey? It feels like I'm fighting a veteran earlier."
"I just started yesterday, I'm sure of it."
"Well, you certainly don't fight like a rookie. I could see the way you thought ahead. You took control of the battle."
"I guess I just had to adapt quickly. The stakes are high, and I wanted to prove something."
The match in the arena intensified as Derek commanded his Charizard to unleashed a powerful Flamethrower, illuminating the sky with blazing fire. Arson's Pokemon, a rapid but agile Gliscor, dodged the flames with impressive speed.
"Whoa, look at that Gliscor move!" Ella exclaimed, leaning forward in her seat.
"Derek's Charizard is strong, but that Gliscor's speed is impressive," Tiara remarked. "It's all about who can outlast the other."
I nodded, but my mind was racing. What if I have to face either of them?
"Max, I know you're thinking about your next match," Tiara said, as if reading my thoughts. "But battles aren't won just by strength. You've shown that you can think on your feet, and that's what really counts."
"There's a big difference between battling someone like you and someone with a fully evolved Pokemon."
As I watched the match between Derek and Arson unfold, I started analyzing the Charizard's movements, its patterns, and how Derek commanded it. Derek favored brute force, leading with overwhelming attacks like Flamethrower and Dragon Claw. But Arson's Gliscor was nimble, dodging attacks and waiting for the right moments to strike.
"See that, Max?" Tiara pointed out. "Derek is relying on Charizard's power, but Arson is outmaneuvering him. It's all about playing to your strengths. You've got a great strategic mind, and Houndour has proven that it can adapt. If you face Derek, you'll just need a different approach, something unexpected."
I continued watching the battle closely, trying to figure out the right approach if I were to face Derek's Charizard. It was clear that brute force alone wouldn't be enough. Charizard's raw power could overwhelm Houndour easily if I didn't find a way to outsmart it.
Tiara leaned in. "Think about your next move carefully. Sometimes, the answer isn't just in your Pokemon's strength but in how you use the battlefield."
"Yeah, easier said than done. Charizard's fast and hits hard. Houndour's good, but it's not on that level."
The crowd roared again as Charizard released another stream of fire, only for Gliscor to dodge once more with a quick aerial maneuver. Derek was getting frustrated, pushing Charizard harder, while Arson remained calm, letting his Gliscor's agility wear down the larger opponent.
"Arson is wearing him out," Ella said, her eyes wide. "He's making Derek waste energy."
As the match drew to a close, Charizard finally overpowered Gliscor with a well-timed Dragon Claw, sending Arson's Pokemon crashing to the ground. The crowd erupted into cheers, but it was clear that the battle had taken a toll on both sides.
"The winner is Derek!" The announcer bellowed.
Tiara glanced at me. "Looks like you'll be facing Derek in the semifinals. But remember this, use your mind not your guts."
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