Almost the instant Jacob called the start, Sceptile's feet left the ground. Its erald body launched across the arena with explosive force, closing the distance before most Pokémon could react. At the sa mont, a vivid green glow ford along both its wrists — two blades of Grass-type energy, razor-sharp and humming with power.
Speed was where both of these Pokémon made their na.
Sceptile was large for a Grass-type, but its Speed was deceptive — it ranked among the fastest Grass-type Pokémon in existence, a list that included regional forms, ga Evolutions, and Legendary Pokémon. And if Sceptile was fast, ga Sceptile was sothing else entirely — second fastest among all Grass-types, and first among Dragon-types. Speed was woven into its identity.
Drakloak was no different. Among all Dragon-types, the fastest was Dragapult — and Dragapult was Drakloak's evolved form. Even in this stage, Drakloak was no slouch.
This battle was going to co down to speed.
"Leaf Blade!"
Sceptile drove in hard. Drakloak t the charge with stillness — then shot straight upward, using the open air above to put itself out of reach. Clean, efficient, unfazed.
Sceptile stopped, lifted its head, and watched Drakloak ascend. Then Dragon-type energy surged around its body, and a dragon-shaped pulse of force launched skyward.
Dragon Pulse.
Drakloak didn't take it. A Ghost-type energy wrapped around its fra, a dinsional rift opened in the air ahead of it, and it vanished.
Dinsional Ambush — Drakloak's signature technique.
Boom.
Almost simultaneously, another rift split open directly behind Sceptile. Drakloak shot through like an arrow.
Blindingly fast.
But Sceptile's instincts were just as sharp. The mont it heard the spatial distortion form behind it, sothing clicked — and it spun, whipping its tail around with full force, Steel-type energy driving the strike ho.
Iron Tail.
Boom.
Drakloak and Sceptile's Iron Tail t in a jarring collision, the impact sending a shockwave through the arena.
Jacob's eyes flickered with quiet surprise. Sceptile had swung on instinct, without even seeing Drakloak — and it had connected. That kind of composure didn't co from training alone. It was simply in Sceptile's nature: calm, precise, and completely decisive under pressure. Drakloak was much the sa. Two Pokémon with similar temperants, built for exactly this kind of clash.
But the outco of that exchange wasn't what Jacob had expected.
Despite holding its ground, Sceptile had been at a slight disadvantage in that collision.
Both were Gym Leader level, but there were degrees within that range. Drakloak had spent months absorbing the fragnted Ghost-type energy from the Prison Bottle, and that accumulation had pushed it close to the edge of sothing beyond Gym Leader level entirely — one real breakthrough away from reaching Quasi-Elite Four strength. Even without evolving into Dragapult, it had a clear edge over Sceptile as it stood now.
Then sothing shifted. A pale, spectral fla ignited on Drakloak's body — and more followed, dozens of ghostly blue lights drifting outward in every direction, like violet embers floating in still air.
Then they rushed toward Sceptile all at once.
Will-O-Wisp.
Drakloak was changing approach — inflict a burn, then follow up with Hex while the status condition was active. Will-O-Wisp into Hex was a well-established combination, and with a burn slowing Sceptile's Attack, the montum of the match would swing decisively.
Sceptile's response was imdiate.
Normal-type energy surged around its body — and it began to spin.
Swords Dance.
Jacob gave a small, approving nod. If he had been in command, he would have called exactly the sa thing. The rapid spinning disrupted every incoming Will-O-Wisp, deflecting the ghostly flas before they could make contact. And as a bonus, Sceptile's Attack had just climbed sharply.
The gap between them narrowed. Sceptile now had a slight edge on offense.
The match had beco genuinely interesting.
Sceptile steadied itself, watched Drakloak, then launched forward — body coiled in Dragon-type energy as it drove a massive, clawed strike directly at Drakloak.
Dragon Claw.
Facing a Pokémon with both Dragon-type and Ghost-type, Sceptile had leaned into Dragon-type offense. The energy ford into a massive claw at its wrist, the strike coming in fast and hard.
Drakloak's answer was the last thing Jacob expected.
Dragon-type energy surged upward from Drakloak's body — concentrated, imnse — and fired straight into the sky. Glowing teors began to fall, trailing light across the dark air above the arena. The sheer scale of it was staggering.
Draco teor.
Jacob's eyes narrowed. Why?
Drakloak had to know that Sceptile still had Protect available. Using Draco teor at this stage of the battle, against an opponent who could block it cleanly, was a significant risk — and not just because of the wasted power.
Unlike in a simulation, the real cost of using Draco teor didn't wait for the move to land. The mont Drakloak unleashed it, its Special Attack dropped sharply regardless of whether the hit connected. In the real world, Draco teor was a finishing move — sothing you saved for when the opponent was already vulnerable, not sothing you threw out midway through a battle.
Jacob turned it over quickly. Either Drakloak had already decided to abandon Special Attacks entirely and fight a fully physical battle going forward — or it was deliberately trying to bait Sceptile into using Protect.
And then it clicked, Hex. Jacob had seen Drakloak set up exactly this situation in the finals.
(Note: In this story, unlike in the gas, Hex can be blocked by Protect — but it still bypasses Substitute, Magic Coat, and Magic Guard.)
Drakloak was trying to force Protect out of Sceptile, so it could follow up with Hex while a status condition was still in play.
The question was whether Sceptile would take Draco teor head-on, or spend Protect to block it. Neither choice was comfortable.
The teors were already falling.
Sceptile made its decision in an instant — a light shield snapped into place around it, solid and bright, catching the full weight of the Draco teor and holding firm.
Sceptile was unhard.
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