Chapter 39: Lillie's Battle

Chapter 39: Lillie's Battle

Ron arrived at the Ice Field just as the first match was wrapping up. The battle featured a Nidoking versus a Pinsir, with Nidoking holding the advantage. Within minutes, the match ended in the Nidoking trainer's victory.

A short while later, the second match began—Lillie's battle.

Ron cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Lillie! You got this! Fight seriously, and you'll win!"

Hearing his voice, Lillie turned her head toward Ron's direction, spotting him in the stands. She smiled and gave him a determined thumbs-up.

The cameras caught the moment, broadcasting it live to the Alola region.

Inside the Aether Foundation, Lusamine and Gladion were seated, watching the match.

Lusamine smiled. "Lillie has grown so much. She looks so cheerful now. By the way, that boy with her—Ron, wasn't it? They've been traveling together… From the way she looks at him, she might have feelings for him."

"Hmph." Gladion crossed his arms. "I don't care how strong he is—if he ever dares to hurt Lillie, I'll crush him."

Lusamine giggled. "Oh my, my Gladion is so reliable. What about you? Don't you want to go on a journey too?"

Gladion nodded. "I've been thinking about it. Lillie's grown strong enough to take care of herself. I don't need to protect her anymore. Once she returns, I plan to travel to the Hoenn region."

"Alright, but if you ever get tired, come home to visit." Lusamine reached out to pat his head.

"Tch." Gladion swatted her hand away.

Meanwhile, in Lillie's old Pokémon school, her classmates were also watching the match—Mallow, Lana, Kiawe, and Sophocles were glued to the screen.

Kiawe sighed enviously. "Man, I wish I could compete in a tournament like this. The trainers must be insanely strong."

Professor Kukui chuckled. "They are. When I was younger, I went to Kanto to challenge the Gyms… and got my butt kicked by the Gym Leaders."

"Whoa, really?" Mallow laughed. "Then Lillie is amazing! But I'm not really interested in battling. I just want to cook delicious food."

Lana's eyes sparkled as she focused on Ron. "Lillie mentioned that guy—Ron—he's incredible at fishing. I'd love to challenge him someday."

Sophocles had an idea. "Hey, what if we all flew over to Kanto to cheer for Lillie? Professor Kukui, what do you think?"

Kukui grinned. "That's actually a great idea. I'll talk to the principal. Besides, it'll be a good chance to visit an old friend."

And so, the Alolan gang began making arrangements to fly to Kanto.

Back at the battlefield, the announcer was hyping up the match.

"In the red corner, we have Lillie from the Alola region! And in the green corner, we have Moon from Doll Town! Both are stunning beauties, but in this battle, only strength matters!"

"The battle will be three-on-three! Ice Field, Match Two—begin!" the referee declared.

"I won't lose! Go, Golem!" Moon called out.

Lillie confidently responded, "I have my reasons for winning, too. Go, Nidoqueen!"

"Golem, use Rollout!" Moon commanded.

"Nidoqueen, stop it with Ice Beam!"

Golem charged forward, spinning at high speed, but Nidoqueen immediately raised a thick ice wall with Ice Beam. The boulder Pokémon crashed into it, shattering the ice, but the attack lost momentum.

Seeing her chance, Lillie ordered, "Now, Nidoqueen—Earthquake!"

Nidoqueen stomped the ground hard, sending powerful shockwaves rippling through the battlefield. The cracked ice made it even worse for Golem, dealing massive damage.

Moon gritted her teeth. "Golem, hold on! Use Mega Punch!"

Lillie was ready. "Protect!"

Golem's glowing fist crashed into Nidoqueen's barrier, dealing no damage.

"Now, finish it with Ice Beam!" Lillie commanded.

A freezing blast of energy struck Golem, knocking it out instantly.

"Golem is unable to battle!" the referee declared.

"Great job, Golem. Now it's your turn, Slowbro!" Moon sent out her next Pokémon, countering Nidoqueen.

Lillie recalled Nidoqueen, preparing to switch.

"Not so fast! Slowbro, Block!" Moon smirked.

The ability activated, preventing Lillie from switching out. She frowned, realizing she had to keep fighting with Nidoqueen.

This was where official matches differed from regular battles—trainers were limited to four moves per Pokémon, making move choices critical.

So far, Nidoqueen had used Protect, Ice Beam, and Earthquake.

After careful thought, Lillie called out, "Nidoqueen, Thunderbolt!"

Ron nodded in approval. Lillie was handling the situation well. Unlike casual battles, official tournaments limited Pokémon to only four moves. The anime might have made it seem like Pikachu never forgot moves, but in reality, the animators were just lazy and reused animations.

The Thunderbolt struck Slowbro, dealing decent damage, but the Water/Psychic Pokémon barely reacted, still looking as blank as ever.

Ron, however, could see Slowbro's health bar drop by a third. This trainer had raised it well.

Moon smirked. "Slowbro, use Future Sight!"

A sphere of psychic energy launched into the void.

Lillie wasted no time. "Nidoqueen, another Thunderbolt!"

Slowbro was too slow to dodge, eating another super-effective hit.

Moon bit her lip. "Slowbro, Psychic!"

A wave of invisible force slammed into Nidoqueen, dealing heavy damage.

But Lillie wasn't about to back down.

"Thunderbolt, one more time!"

Slowbro took the hit and finally collapsed.

"Slowbro is unable to battle!"

Just as Lillie was about to celebrate, the lingering Future Sight activated, striking Nidoqueen down.

"Nidoqueen is unable to battle!"

Both trainers recalled their Pokémon and sent out their final choices—Moon with Victreebel and Lillie with Snowy.

Ron smirked. "Lillie's got this."

To make sure she had a trump card, Ron had used Diamonds to purchase Blizzard for Snowy. With Hail active, Blizzard would never miss—a perfect counter to Victreebel.

As expected, Lillie acted immediately.

"Snowy, use Hail, then Blizzard!"

"Stop it! Victreebel, use Sleep Powder!" Moon shouted in desperation.

"Change tactics! Use Safeguard!" Lillie countered.

Snowy summoned a protective veil, blocking the Sleep Powder.

"Victreebel, Razor Leaf!"

"Blizzard."

Before Victreebel's leaves could even reach Snowy, the battlefield was engulfed in a raging snowstorm, freezing Victreebel solid.

"Victreebel is unable to battle! The winner is Lillie from the Alola region!"

Ron stood up, clapping proudly as he watched Lillie claim victory in her first tournament battle.