Three rounds in, and Diancie held a slim lead. But with trono, a slim lead ant very little. The move was chaos by design — anything could co up at any mont, and until a Pokémon was actually down, the outco could flip entirely.
Precipice Blades. Origin Pulse. Moves like those, even when called through trono rather than by their original users, still carried staggering power — enough to turn the whole match around in a single turn.
"trono!"
Both Diancie and Indeedee raised their fingers again. The watching Pokémon leaned in slightly. Jacob felt himself doing the sa.
There was sothing about this format that was simply more gripping than a standard match. Every turn was unknown. Every result was a surprise. It wasn't hard to understand why the annual trono competition drew such large crowds — or why it happened to be the most popular period of the year for those who liked to make it interesting with a wager.
Energy surged from both sides. Jacob read the colour and shape of it and guessed that both had landed on attacking moves this round.
Dark-type energy rose from Diancie — sharp, fast, building quickly.
Jacob ran through the options quietly. DD Lariat? Dark Pulse? Night Daze?
The energy fired.
Dark Pulse.
A strong choice — and well-tid. Dark-type moves hit Indeedee for super-effective damage, given its Psychic and Normal typing. The Dark Pulse connected cleanly and dealt significant damage.
Indeedee's roll was less fortunate. Bug-type energy shimred around it, forming a ring of light that expanded outward and washed over Diancie.
Struggle Bug.
Low base power, and Diancie resisted Bug-type moves on top of it. The hit landed as little more than a light tap. The only upside for Indeedee was Struggle Bug's secondary effect — it lowered Diancie's Special Attack — but given how the round had gone, it wasn't much comfort.
The montum was shifting clearly in Diancie's favour. One more strong roll and this could be over.
Indeedee felt it. Pride was one thing, but losing to Diancie specifically was not sothing it was prepared to do. It didn't hesitate — another trono, imdiately.
The finger waved. Normal-type energy shifted. Then Fire-type energy surged from Indeedee in a sudden, overwhelming rush, so intense it lit up the entire arena.
Jacob watched the buildup and began guessing. Blast Burn? Overheat? Blue Flare again?
Then a V-shaped mark blazed to life on Indeedee's forehead.
Jacob recognised it imdiately.
V-create. Victini's signature move — and the most powerful Fire-type move in existence.
Indeedee charged forward, wreathed in fire, the V burning brilliantly on its brow, and drove straight into Diancie.
Boom.
The flas erupted completely, swallowing Diancie in an instant. The damage was enormous. Even with Diancie's two-tis resistance to Fire-type moves, V-create's base power of 180 made the hit brutal — the highest base power of any Fire-type move, approaching the force of a Z-Move. The trade-off was harsh: V-create dropped the user's Speed, Defense, and Special Defense all at once. Three stats in exchange for one devastating strike.
Jacob watched and felt a pang of envy on Cinderace's behalf. If Charizard or Cinderace could learn V-create — especially paired with the Contrary Ability, which would turn those stat drops into boosts — it would be almost unfair.
That thought led him naturally to the Ability Capsule he still hadn't used. He didn't know yet whether it could access any Ability freely or only those a Pokémon could naturally have. If it was the forr, the combinations that beca possible were extraordinary — Slaking with Huge Power, Swampert with Sap Sipper. The possibilities were significant.
He filed it away for later.
Diancie hadn't seen V-create coming, but she bore it. She had no other option — and her own trono had already triggered.
Jacob's eyes went wide.
Self-Destruct.
Normal-type energy surged through Diancie, and a blinding white light erupted from its body.
"No—!"
There was no ti to intervene. It was already happening.
Boom.
The entire arena went white.
Indeedee hadn't expected it either. For one brief mont it froze, weighing the choice — Protect, and survive, or take the hit and see.
Using Protect ant breaking the rules of the match. And losing on a technicality was worse, to Indeedee's mind, than losing outright. Its pride made the decision before its instincts could argue. It gritted its teeth and held its ground.
Self-Destruct's shockwave hit it full force.
The light faded. Smoke hung thick across the arena floor.
Diancie and Indeedee lay where they had fallen, both completely spent.
Jacob looked at them for a mont, then let out a quiet, rueful smile.
It was, he had to admit, the best possible outco. If either had won, the loser would have been inconsolable — and knowing these two, that would have ant weeks of tension. A draw both of them had chosen to accept on their own terms, though? That they could both live with.
"Draw. Both of you fought well." He held up their Poké Balls. "Co back, Diancie, Indeedee."
He'd take them to be treated once the last match was done.
"Next up — Fraxure versus Shelgo—"
He didn't finish the sentence.
A shadow materialised in front of him — silent, sudden, filling the centre of the arena. Darkrai stood there, its expression unusually grave, eyes fixed on Jacob.
A voice reached Jacob's mind directly, calm and quiet.
Soone is approaching. Quietly.
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