Chapter 577: The Finale Battle

"Oh my God..."

"Is this the Intercollegiate Freshman Tournament or the Champion Cup!?"

"This is insane... No wonder. They're ranked second and third on the tower!"

"This is incredible..."

High above the arena, Kenny practically shouted into the microphone from Pidgeot's back.

This battle was absolutely thrilling!

The match was so exciting that Kenny looked ready to break into a victory dance right there on Pidgeot's back.

Everyone in the arena stared intently at the battlefield, eager to see the outcome.

After a clash that powerful, there was no way both Pokémon had come through unscathed.

...

As the thick smoke and dust gradually cleared, the entire battlefield came back into view.

On the battered battlefield, Noivern and Incineroar were both still standing.

Both Pokémon were battered and breathing hard, but neither took its eyes off the other.

The Dragon King and Tiger King had reached their final exchange.

Neither was willing to fall first!

"Incineroar... hang in there! One last Darkest Lariat!"

Blaze knew Incineroar was nearly at its limit and was only staying on its feet through sheer willpower.

Rather than pull it back, Blaze chose to let Incineroar settle things with one final attack.

"Noivern... one last move. Dragon Pulse!"

Braveon could also tell that Noivern had only a sliver of stamina left. There was no way it could use another combination move.

He wanted Noivern to use Roost, but he knew Blaze would never give him the chance.

So he chose to meet Incineroar head-on with one final attack.

"NOI-VERRRN!"

"ROOOAR!"

Both Pokémon roared at once, determination burning in their eyes.

Black energy enveloped Incineroar's right fist as it charged straight toward Noivern.

Noivern opened its mouth and fired a dragon-shaped wave of energy directly at Incineroar.

In the next instant, Dragon Pulse slammed head-on into Incineroar's fist.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion erupted as a violent shockwave swept across the battlefield.

Both Pokémon were blasted backward and crashed heavily onto the ground.

Their eyes began spinning at almost the exact same moment.

Noivern and Incineroar were both unable to battle.

The showdown between the Dragon and the Tiger had ended in a draw.

...

"Noivern and Incineroar are both unable to battle!"

"Blaze, Braveon—send out your next Pokémon!"

The referee glanced at the two unconscious Pokémon on the battlefield before raising his flags and announcing the result.

The two Trainers recalled their Pokémon and each took out another Poké Ball.

Blaze had already lost three Pokémon and had only three remaining, while Braveon had lost two and still had four left.

Braveon still held a clear advantage.

Back in the preparation area, Gage watched the battle with envy.

"Aaron... Blaze is really strong too. I can't believe he's keeping up with Braveon like this."

Gage had already been eliminated.

All he could do now was watch from the sidelines.

"Don't underestimate Blaze. I've got a feeling that guy's been hiding his true strength this whole time."

"Still, I'm not worried. Braveon's no pushover either."

Aaron folded his arms, a faint smile on his face.

"Hmph... If the previous Aura Guardian hadn't chosen him as his successor, how far would he have gotten?"

Ivy was already in a foul mood after being eliminated, and seeing Aaron, Braveon, and the others doing so well had only made it worse.

If Edmund hadn't been standing nearby, she probably would have said much worse.

Aaron gave Ivy a casual glance.

"Keep barking like that and people might start mistaking you for a Poochyena."

"You... are you calling me a dog?!"

Ivy flushed with anger as she snapped at Aaron.

"I never said that. Funny that's where your mind went, though."

Aaron raised his hands innocently.

"All right, that's enough. The battle is starting."

Edmund stepped in to stop the argument, then glanced at Ivy.

"Ivy... if you don't want to watch, I can have someone take you home."

Ivy immediately fell silent and lowered her head.

...

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Blaze gave Braveon an incredulous look.

"Not bad, Braveon. I thought we were playing it straight, and you've been messing with me this whole time, huh?"

"Fine. I'll remember that."

"Keep it up and one of these days I'm gonna smack you."

Braveon grinned.

"What are you even talking about? I have no idea what you mean."

"Did all that fire finally cook your brain?"

"Damn... when did you get this sneaky?"

Blaze groaned, clearly annoyed—but not enough to hide his smile.

Blaze snapped at him in exasperation.

"Come on... let's keep fighting!"

"Bring it on."

Braveon grinned back.

For all the trash talk, both of them were clearly enjoying every second of the hard-fought battle.