Allie's gaze rested upon the battlefield below as it was being prepared for the final match of the Lumiose Conference. Her dream was only moments away and yet it still seemed so far. Though the setting of the sun signified the coming end of her heart's journey, longer still seemed the wait until there would be a ring upon her finger. She gently stroked Furfrou's head as she anxiously waited for the final match to begin. When the stadium lights brightened and the tunnels below began to light up, she stood up and made her way to the window of her private box, and looked out over the crowd as the announcer made his way to the center of the arena.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for the final round of the Lumiose Conference!"

The crowd roared in excitement as everyone cheered for the two remaining contenders.

"It has been a remarkable day hasn't it folks? We've seen some of the most spectacular battles ever witnessed and I have a feeling the best has yet to come! Our finalists have proven to be incredibly strong trainers and have overcome seemingly impossible odds in order to stand where they are now. Fellow trainers, it is with great pleasure that I introduce to you our conference finalists. Please give a round of applause for Seth and Grayson!"

Hearing his name, Seth pushed off the wall and began to make his way toward the entrance of the tunnel. Every step he took, he took with confidence as he marched toward the field. The roar of the crowd greeted his ears as he found his way to the center of the field where Grayson would meet him.

"So it all comes down to this... you ready?" Grayson asked as he met Seth's gaze.

"As ready as I'll ever be. After all, we've got a lot riding on this don't we?" Seth replied, turning his head in the direction of Allie's section high above the stands.

"You're right, which is why we've gotta put our all into this. I'm sure you're already aware, but this is where she will be watching us the closest."

"After everything we've done here, it'd be an insult to her if we didn't show her our best."

"If I know Allie like I think I do, you're definitely right about that. She's never been one to take too kindly to people holding back, especially during a battle," Grayson said with a grin. "However this match ends up, I won't have any regrets, win or lose."

"Same here," Seth responded, a smirk curving onto his face as he shook Grayson's hand before walking back to his trainer's box.

"The final match of the Lumiose Conference between Seth and Grayson will now begin! Both trainers will be using six Pokémon a side. The match will be over when all Pokémon on either side have been defeated. The winner of this match will be declared this year's conference champion!" the judge declared loudly.

Shouts of encouragement for both trainers could be heard from all over the stadium as both trainers reached down and snatched their first sphere off their waist. At the word of the judge, Seth and Grayson released their Pokémon at the same time, revealing Absol and Avalugg to be their first Pokémon of choice.

"Both sides ready?" called the judge, his hand going up as he received the go ahead from both sides. "You may begin!"

"Absol, Iron Tail!"

"Curse!" Seth countered.

A bright purple glow surrounded Avalugg's frame, bolstering her defenses and strengthening her offensive power as Absol drew near. Bracing herself, Avalugg dug her feet in and took the impact as Absol swung his tail downward and slammed it onto her head. The impact would have taken her to the ground had she not prepared for it. A sudden gust of chilling wind rushed from her open maw, blowing Absol away from her. While it may not have done much damage to Absol, Grayson could see tiny traces of ice on Absols ankles.

Large, sharp icicles formed around Avalugg's body and started shooting toward Absol putting the Disaster Pokémon on the run. Each spear barely missed their target as Absol deftly avoided them as he rushed the icy behemoth. Fire crackled in his mouth as he jumped over Avalugg and aimed a powerful blast straight down ontop of her. The blast connected and caused her legs to nearly give way. Growling in annoyance, Avalugg turned and fired an Ice Beam at her agile foe, successfully connecting with one of their back legs as they jumped to try to avoid it, sending them sliding along the ground, their back leg icing over.

As Absol got up, a massive ball of ice was shot his way forcing him to use the horn on his head to slice through it. Looking down at his leg, he felt as though he could still move it, albeit his agility was severely cut due to the damage he'd sustained. Powering up, he bolted toward Avalugg, his tail stiffening and shining like steel as he closed in on his target.

"Iron Tail!"

"Gyro Ball!"

Absol swung his tail just as Avalugg swung her body into a full spin, throwing her weight into her attack and knocking Absol clear across the arena and into the wall behind Grayson. Looking back, Grayson could see that Absol was collapsed on the ground and out of the match.

"Absol is unable to battle! Avalugg wins the round!" declared the judge.

Grayson recalled Absol and threw his next Pokémon, which turned out to be Poliwrath, onto the battlefield. Wasting no time, Grayson shouted, "Rain Dance!"

Dark clouds formed over the battlefield and within seconds, rain began pounding the ground. Without a moment's hesitation, Poliwrath blurred forward, his fist aglow with orange light as he closed quickly closed the distance between himself and Avalugg. Lightning quick, Poliwrath pounded Avalugg directly in the face and forced her back a few steps before he followed up with another heavy blow that sent her staggering back even more. A bright red glow surrounded Poliwrath, an idicator that he'd gained strength from the sudden assault.

"Brick Break, let's go!" Grayson roared.

"Icicle Spear!" Seth countered.

Poliwrath charged toward Avalugg, using his hands like knives to slice through each spear that threatened him. Leaping up to avoid a close range Ice Ball, Poliwrath brought his hand down upon the ice behemoth and guided her face into the ground with the side of his hand, tipping her over onto her side with the force behind his strike. Before Avalugg could right herself, Poliwrath wound up for his next attack and swung hard, the force of the Focus Punch sending her crashing along the ground before landing in an unconcious heap.

"Avalugg is unable to battle, Poliwrath wins the round!"

Allie watched intently as the match continued on. If she was being honest with herself, this was the part of the competition that made her the most nervous considering the two who were competing. On the one hand, there was Grayson, a friend she'd known since she was little and possibly the only one who knew what awaited the victor of this match. Then there was Seth, a man who had unexpectedly walked into her life and flipped it completely upside down in the best way possible. Her face burned as she thought of the kiss they shared and of the regret she'd felt not dragging it out just a little longer.

The more she continued to dwell on these thoughts, the more anxious she became for the match to conclude. Thus far, it seemed an even match with Seth taking first blood and Grayson evening things out with the second knockout of the battle. Keeping her eyes trained on Seth, she began to play out a chain of events that would most likely occur. After observing both of their battle styles, Allie could all but predict what course of action they would take. She could see Seth reaching down for a black and white sphere at his belt.

After snapping it off his belt, Seth released the sphere into the air and out popped the red-eyed, leafy-maned goat. Gogoat snorted and stomped his hoof on the ground as he locked eyes with his adversary. A smirk broke out over Allie's face the moment she realized she'd been right. Furfrou, who had been observing as well, could see the look of amusement in his trainer's eyes, causing her to snicker. She too, could hardly contain her excitement as she anticipated the end of the match.

"Gogoat, Leaf Blade, let's go!"

"Counter with Ice Punch!"

Gogoat exploded forward, sloshing through the dampened, muddy ground in a rampage toward Poliwrath who stood in wait while powering up his fists. Long and sharp blades of grass jutted out of the sides of the horned beast as he charged, aiming to clothesline Poliwrath with one of the blades extending from his side. Poliwrath leaped over the charging beast and waited as he came around for a second charge. As he came near, Poliwrath reached out and grabbed Gogoat by his horns and dug his feet into the ground in an effort to slow him down. Coming to a halt, Poliwrath raised his fist and drove it into Gogoat several times while keeping hold of his horn.

"Vine Whip, get him off you!" Seth commanded.

Vines swiftly lashed out and apprehended Poliwrath before he could land another icy blow, and lifted him high into the air before slamming him down and swinging him upward and backward over Gogoat's head before coming down and impacting the ground with a heavy crash. Retracting his vines, Gogoat whipped around and raised his front hooves and slammed them on the ground. Light rippled through the area and a dome of green energy suddenly surrounded both Gogoat and Poliwrath.

"Uh oh..." Grayson muttered to himself as he took note of the energy radiating from Gogoat's hide. "That can't be good!" He exclaimed as large orbs of light began forming around Gogoat.

"Seed Bomb!" Seth called out.

"Use Vacuum Wave to blow them away and then charge in with Ice Punch!" Grayson retaliated.

Five golden spheres shot toward Poliwrath who swung both arms in windmill fashion, blasting apart the explosive attack before it could reach him. With the rain still pounding away at the ground, Poliwrath utilized the increased speed he'd received to bolt toward his opposition, his fist encased in an icy aura as he closed the gap. As he was about to strike, Gogoat stomped the ground once, causing the ground to heave as thick, giant vines shot out of the ground and ensnared Poliwrath by his feet, preventing him from moving. The last thing he remembered was Gogoat's horns glowing bright green before they were rammed into his chest, sending him slamming to the ground on his back.

The judge's hand shot into the air as soon as Poliwrath hit the ground.

"Poliwrath is unable to battle. Gogoat wins the round!"

With a sigh, Grayson returned Poliwrath and quietly thanked him for his efforts after placing him on his belt.

As expected, Seth's not pulling any punches here. Gogoat's sturdier than I expected which means I'm going to need something that hits a little harder in order to get around it, Grayson thought, analyzing the situation as he considered his options.

Coming to a decision, Grayson snatched up his next ball and primed it. "Haxorus, time to fight!"

A penetrating roar heraleded the arrival of the draconic behemoth. The axe-jawed dragon snarled viciously and slammed the ground with his tail in an intimidating manner as he glowered down at his opponent. Gogoat, unphased by the threat, snorted steam from his nostrils and stomped the ground and challengingly brandished his horns by lowering his head to signal he would charge.

"Dragon Dance and use Dragon Claw!" shouted Grayson.

"Horn Leech!" Seth countered hastily.

Haxorus stamped his feet and with a threatening roar, brandished his claws as he rampaged toward the charging horned beast. Gogoat's horns glowed a bright green hue as he rushed in. Putting his weight into it, Haxorus swung hard into Gogoat's side when he came within range, the speed of the swing catching Gogoat off guard as it sliced into his side and knocked him off balance. Following the claw swipe was a lightning fast Iron Tail that hurled Gogoat through the air.

A bright orange light flickered in the jaws of the dragon as he took aim. A dragon-shaped beam of energy came roaring out of his mouth and plowed into the airborne foe, sending him crashing to the ground. Steam rose from Gogoat's body as he struggled to stand back up. His leafy mane began to glow as he began recovering some of his lost stamina, enabling him to steady himself better.

"Hang in there Gogoat, use Bulk Up and then use Bounce!" Seth called out.

Gogoat planted his feet and drew in energy, strengthening his muscles as he bent his back legs in preparation for the jump. With a powerful shove, Gogoat kicked himself of the ground well above the mighty dragon's head. His body began to glow with a bright orange energy as Seth shouted for a Double Edge  as he plummeted downward toward Haxorus whose blades began glowing bright green. With a swing of the axe blades on the side of his jaws, Haxorus delivered a devastating X-Scissor attack that knocked Gogoat out long before he impacted the ground.

"Gogoat is unable to battle! Haxorus wins the round!" called the judge as their hand went up.

Kneeling down beside Gogoat, Seth placed a gentle hand on snout of his teammate and praised him for a job well done. Gogoat leaned into the affectionate hand and then nudged into it. After a moment, Seth returned Gogoat and turned to face Haxorus, his eyes glowing ever so slightly as he analyzed his newest foe.

"So this is one of his strongest huh?" Seth muttered to himself as he weighed his options. "This won't be an easy task... but I think I know a way to pull this off," Seth mused, reaching for his next teammate and launching them onto the battlefield.

Out popped the rock rabbit, its eyes trailing up to meet the towering foe before it. Normally, when facing a foe as towering in stature as this, Carbink would become nervous and hesitant at first. This time, however, that was not the case. Determination shone in its eyes and a desire to overcome the mountain that was before it could be felt emanating from it. Feeling how confident Carbink had become, Seth smiled, knowing how long it took for it to reach that level of confidence.

There's that Carbink... Grayson thought, remembering how it took down three opponents on its own despite the fact that it was at a disadvantage the entire match. I can't afford to be careless here. Hugo made that mistake earlier and it cost him big time. You may look all innocent and weak but I'm not fooled... you're dangerous and you'll be treated as such...

"Haxorus, tread lightly out there that Carbink's a lot more dangerous than it looks!" Grayson warned the dragon. "Get in close with Shadow Claw and don't let up!"

Haxorus stampeded toward Carbink with claws glowing with ghostly energy as he lashed out at the rock rabbit. Carbink stood firm as Haxorus closed in, its body calm and still as the claws drew near. Suddenly, a bright pink flash of light erupted from its body and blinded the raging dragon, causing him to stumble forward, his eyes squeezed shut in pain.

"Gyro Ball!" Seth commanded quickly.

Carbink spun itself like a top and rammed its body into the disoriented dragon, the force of the blow causing Haxorus to stagger and fall onto his side. Coming out of its spin, Carbink began forming an orb of pink light in front of it. At Seth's command, the sphere was launched toward Haxorus who roared in pain as it connected with its side. Haxorus pulled himself back to his feet as Carbink fired off another Moonblast, and swung his steel-coated tail at it, knocking the attack away before charging Carbink again.

"Iron Defense quick!" Seth ordered as Haxorus quickly shortened the gap between Carbink and himself.

Haxorus's powerful claws—shrouded in purple aura—slammed into Carbink's rocky frame as it fortified itself. After several consecutive strikes, Haxorus swung his tail hard and propelled Carbink backward before stomping the ground hard with his right foot, creating an earthquake that sent Carbink bouncing unsteadily along the ground. Snarling, Haxorus charged forward, his claws now dripping with venom as he leaped upon the downed Carbink.

"Dazzling Gleam!"

A loud crashing sound was all that was heard as a blinding flash of pink light engulfed the battlefield, obscuring everyone's view momentarily. After a few seconds, the light died down to reveal an unconcious Haxorus laying overtop of a knocked out Carbink. Judging by how they were positioned, Haxorus had fallen onto Carbink after being taken out by the blinding attack.

"Carbink and Haxorus are unable to battle, therefore this round ends in a draw! The field will now be changed!"

Both Seth and Grayson recalled their partners and reached for their next Pokémon. Once the field shifted from the rocky terrain it was to a more open and grassy field, both trainers released their Pokémon in unison. As Vespisol and Aerodactyl took to the skies, the two immediately came to blows, creating a powerful shockwave as their claws collided in passing. Vespisol whipped his body around and empowered his fists with wind and launched himself at the reptilian sky predator who spread his wings and dove at his foe.

"Mega Punch!" Seth called out.

"Aerial Ace!" Grayson commanded.

Aerodactyl pulled a culbit as Vespisol was in mid strike, the wind from the blow passing beneath Aerodactyl as he came out of the loop and drove his body into Vespisol's and sent him crashing to the ground, his body now concealed by the tall grass all around him. Aerodactyl circled above, his eyes trained on the ground below as he awaited his trainer's command.

"Flush him out with Fire Blast!" Grayson commanded.

"Quick Attack and use Bullet Punch!" Seth shouted fiercely.

Aerodactyl's maw filled with fire that soon bathed the ground upon its release, scorching the field below and setting it ablaze, forcing Vespisol out of hiding. The Soldier Bee Pokémon shot into the sky at breakneck speeds and pummeled Aerodactyl's face with multiple rapid strikes that ended with a double-fisted strike that drove Aerodactyl from the sky toward the ground. Aerodactyl managed to flap his wings, creating a harsh gust that stopped his eventual collision with the ground below only to be slammed in the back of his head with a powerful punch from his pesky little adversary.

Roaring in annoyance, Aerodactyl took off toward the sky again and then rocketed back down, his jaws gaping and fire gathering inside. With a snarl, Aerodactyl loosed a stream of fire from his maw toward Vespisol who evaded it, his fist gleaming like steel as he climbed toward his oncoming foe. Fire flickered around Aerodactyl's teeth as the gap between them closed swiftly. The two came to blows and in a rapid succession of precision strikes, Aerodactyl was sent sprawling downward with Vespisol giving chase.

As Vespisol plunged toward victory, Aerodactyl opened his jaws and burned the sky with fire, triggering an explosion that sent Vespisol crashing to the ground along with Aerodactyl. Struggling to pull himself up, Aerodactyl fixed his eyes on the smoke that began to clear. After a few moments, Vespisol was revealed to be out of commission.

"Vespisol is unable to battle! Aerodactyl wins the round!"

Grayson breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Seth recall the Soldier Bee Pokémon, bringing the score into his favor once again. Seth took a deep breath as he looked up at the scoreboard to see that Grayson was ahead. He was down to his last two Pokémon and Grayson still had three remaining and if he remembered correctly, two of his strongest were lying in wait should he manage to defeat Aerodactyl.

"Cerise, I'm going to need you to take this one," Seth said to his phantom blade as she materialized at the call of her name.

"I was wondering when I'd be called..." Cerise said as she hovered onto the battlefield and looked up at her adversary as he hovered aloft. "I was wanting to have a go at that Haxorus but I suppose this is just as good," she said as she unsheathed and sharpened herself, making her body more lightweight and swift in preparation for the inevitable conflict.

"I was afraid he'd use her this time around," Grayson muttered as Cerise readied herself to fight his Aerodactyl. "Better to play this safe for now. Aerodactyl return!"

In a flash of red, Aerodactyl was brought back to his trainer and immediately replaced by a gray, rotund-looking rabbit with long ears that had what appeared to be muscular arms with three-fingered paws attached to them.

"Use Dig now!" Grayson called out, prompting his companion to dive into the ground and burrow toward his target.

As Diggersby tore through the earth below, Cerise kept her eye on the ground for any disturbances she might find. As the ground shook beneath her, Cerise swiftly shielded herself and bolstered her defenses with Iron Defense the moment Diggersby erupted from the ground and pounded his arm-like ears into her shield. Her blade glowed as she swiftly unsheathed herself and brought her bladed body down upon the mud rabbit who raised his ears to block the strike from above.

Pushing upward, Diggersby forced Cerise off of him and swung a fiery fist toward the levitating sword. Narrowly avoiding the skyward strike by turning her body to the side, Cerise angled herself and carved downward at a diagonal, her sword ablaze with a light blue glow. Her Sacred Sword struck home and bore into the back of the mud rabbit, slamming him into the ground.

"Sacred Sword again!"

"Dig and use Sand Tomb!"

Burrowing swiftly underground, Diggersby escaped the sharp edge of Cerise's blade as it missed slamming him in the head. A sudden vortex of sand shot up from the ground and ensnared Cerise, sending her spiraling upward. Seeing his chance, Diggersby launched himself into the air, fists ablaze with fire again. As Cerise was hurled away by the sandy vortex, she felt a heavy two-fisted blow cannon into her, sending her on a collision course with the ground below.

"Shadow Sneak!" Seth called, just in time as Cerise neared the ground.

Phasing through the arena floor, Cerise began maneuvering through the field toward Diggersby who seemed to be trying to listen for her approach after landing. His head swiveled from left to right as Cerise blazed a trail in his direction, her body suddenly replicating unbeknownst to her foe. Suddenly, several duplicates of Cerise shot from the ground and slashed out at Diggersby who began batting them away with the flaming fists at the ends of his ears. As he swatted away the last one, a shadow as cast over him and the last thing he saw as a massive blade carving downward before it impacted his head and guided his body to the ground.

"Diggersby is unable to battle! Aegislash wins the round!" declared the judge as their hand went up.

Cerise, if she could, would have sighed in relief after seeing that pudgey bunny go down. The force of his punches, even with her reinforced defenses, was almost more than she could take. She felt as though her body had been dented even though it clearly wasn't. The sound of a piercing screech could be heard as Aerodactyl reappeared, ready to have a go at her.

"Think you can take him?" Seth asked her, earning an affirmative in the form of a second Autotomize, an effort on her part to match the speed of her foe. "Alright then, let's get to work! Iron Head!"

"Coming straight for us huh? Fine then, we'll meet you head-on! Aerodactyl, Fire Fang!"

Aerodactyl shot toward Cerise, his maw crackling with fire. Cerise sliced her body through the air and connected with the side of the sky predator's face with a loud crack! Aerodactyl struggled to regain control of his body as he sprawled through the air. Cerise gave chase and soared above him, her blade glowing with azure light as she swung downward. Her attack missed by a small margin as Aerodactyl managed to pull himself together and pull himself down at the last second to avoid her attack.

In a flash, Aerodactyl was upon Cerise, jaws flickering with fire again as he neared. With a roar, he loosed a stream of flames that washed over her before she could make a move to defend. Cerise began to plummet, her body stinging as she fell. Her adversary pursued her, his jaws open wide and fire once again forming within.

"Fire Blast!" Grayson called out hastily.

"King's Shield!" Seth exclaimed.

Aerodactyl's fire was snuffed out by the barrier that Cerise had erected just before she made contact with the ground. Pulling herself back up, she shifted herself into an offensive stance, glowing blades of light dancing around her body as she kept her focus on her divebombing foe. As Aerodactyl closed the gap, Cerise's body lit up with a light blue aura.

"Head Smash!"

The impact Cerise made as she swung echoed through the stadium. The force sent Aerodactyl crashing along the ground and skidding, leaving a deep trench in his wake before coming to a complete stop several yards behind Grayson. After running over to get a good look at the downed beast, the judge's hand went up.

"Aerodactyl is unable to battle! Aegislash wins the round!"

Grayson withdrew Aerodactyl silently and readied his final Pokémon for battle. It all came down to this. He was confident that he would be able to make it by Cerise which gave him some comfort to know. However, he knew what awaited him beyond the phantom blade. He'd seen many strange things on his journey, but Seth seemed to be in a league of his own. The strength of Seth's team was intimidating as was his presence. It was that very pressure he felt from Seth that reminded him of the goal they were striving to reach. That same calculating look she bore when facing down her opponents was reflected in Seth's and for the first time during the match, Grayson felt uncertain about his chances.

Still, he'd resolved to see this to the end and that meant overcoming the battle in his mind. With a determined stare, he pulled back and thrust his final companion into the fray. Bursting onto the scene was a bipedal, insectoid Pokémon with a metallic, crimson steel exoskeleton and massive pincers. Adorning his upperbody was a vest with a stone right in the center of it. Grayson, however, did not activate the stone just yet, something Seth wasn't too surprised about considering the power he felt coming from Scizor in his base form.

"I assume you can feel that..." Seth said to Cerise who immediately shifted into a more defensive stance upon the arrival of the Pincer Pokémon.

"I do... and I have to say that I'm rather excited about this one. My defenses may or may not hold up during this match, just a fair warning," Cerise replied with a chuckle.

"I can tell. You've already taken a lot of damage from those two fights. I don't expect you to win this match so just get in a few good hits alright?" Seth said grinning, his eyes trained on Scizor as he shifted into a battle stance. "Ready?"

"Ready!"

"Aerial Ace!" Seth ordered.

"Night Slash!" Grayson countered.

Wind wrapped itself around Cerise's blade as she charged. Scizor remained still as his opponent took initiative, powering up his pincers as she lashed out at him. Blow after blow was deflected as Cerise swung her blade at intense speeds. Slashing downward, Cerise made a directional shift and swung her body upward and made contact with Scizor's chin, causing him to stagger backward from the blow. Aiming to capitalize on her attack, Cerise lashed out again.

Deflecting the strike, Scizor drove home multiple Night Slashes that sent Cerise crashing into the ground before she could even put up her shield. As she hit the ground, the judge's hand went up quickly to make the call. "Aegislash is unable to battle! Scizor wins the round!"

A smile dawned on his face as he returned Cerise to her ball. Hitching her back onto his belt, Seth reached down and grabbed Bisharp's ball and primed it. Silence reigned as Seth drew back and propelled the ball from his hand while shouting, "Bisharp, engarde!"

The stoic, steel bandit emerged from his sphere quietly and turned his head to face his opponent. He could see the stone in the vest of his adversary which gave way to a greater power yet to be unleashed. Shifting his feet, Bisharp changed to an offensive stance and prepared for the start of the bout. He could knew the weight of the responsibility he bore and would, with all his might, see the task set before him to the end.

"This is it Scizor! Just one more round and it'll be all over. Let's show them what we've got!" Grayson shouted, raising his gloved hand into the air and activating his keystone.

Scizor gave a mighty cry as his stone reacted to Grayson's, embuing him with power as a rainbow-like energy engulfed his body. Scizor's pincers began to grow in length, and toothlike serations began to develop causing them to bear a striking resemblance to a Trapinch. His once golden eyes were now a bright blue shade which matched the eye-like markings on its pincers. With the transformation complete, Scizor snapped its pincers and pointed challengingly at Bisharp as if provoking him to action.

"So it's like that huh? It sounds like you've found yourself a bit of a rival here," Seth said smirking, his eyes beginning to glow as he began to initiate Bisharp's transformation. "If that's the case, there's no need for us to hold back now is there?"

In a flash of scarlet flames, Bisharp was engulfed in a powerful aura, triggering his own transmutation. The aura soon turned to violet the moment it synced with Seth's. After a moment or two, the flames faded from view to reveal Bisharp's transformation. Stepping forward, Bisharp's eyes bore into Scizor's. One could practically see the sparks flying between them as they stared each other down.

"Scizor, X-Scissor!"

"Iron Defense!"

Scizor dashed forward, arms crossed as his pincers began glowing green. Using the added weight from his transformation, Scizor lashed out at Bisharp who raised his shield above his head to cushion the heavy blow, his knees buckling under the force of the attack. In an upward thrust, Bisharp forced Scizor upward and drove a glowing white spear into the chest of his attacker, the blow launching him high into the air. Drawing his spear back, Bisharp jabbed upward and sent a beam of black and crimson energy spiraling upward toward Scizor.

Righting himself, Scizor opened his pincers and launched a wave of sharp air toward the beam and dispersed it before it could make contact. Scizor's weight carried him back to the ground where he was able to safely land after some quick maneuvering.

"Agility and then use Brick Break!" Grayson commanded.

"Night Slash!" Countered Seth.

The two came to blows at the center of the field, tearing up grass and debris with every attack that was thrown. Pincer met with shield as they clashed, and though Scizor was faster offensively, Bisharp held the upperhand on the defensive end, his own ability enabling him to riposte every so often after being hit. Scizor swung his pincer down upon Bisharp who once again threw his shield upward in defense. Using his other pincer, Scizor opened the mouth of the appendage and launched a harsh blast of air that blew Bisharp away.

Bisharp slid along the ground on his back and came to a stop just as Scizor pounced upon the downed bandit. Instinctively, Bisharp threw his shield up to block the consecutive strikes that followed. Wham! Wham! Wham! Scizor hammered down upon Bisharp's shield arm, not allowing him any way to retaliate.

"Scizor is hammering away at Bisharp relentlessly! It doesn't look like it's going to let up anytime soon. This could be it folks. We could be seeing the crowning of a new conference champion any second now if Bisharp doesn't get out of this and fast!" the announcer exclaimed excitedly.

"Knock him off with Psycho Cut!"

The blades around Bisharp's abdomen lit up and fired a volley of crescent blades into the stomach of Scizor, blasting him upward and backward, landing with a loud thud. Bisharp pushed himself off the ground and rose to a stand, Scizor also coming to a stand, not willing to throw in the towel just yet.

"Looks like I spoke too soon! Bisharp escaped the clutches of Scizor and is ready for another round!" the announcer boomed.

Dammit, I forgot he could do that! Grayson thought with a frown. "Scizor, watch out for those stomach blades! Use Swords Dance and Brick Break again!"

"You too, Bisharp! Swords Dance and use Aerial Ace!" Seth countered.

Battle cries from both sides split the air as Bisharp and Scizor filled themselves with power before going at each other in a flurry of blurred strikes. Scizor hammered into Bisharp's helm and was met with a swift spear to the gut for his troubles. Digging his heels into the ground to prevent himself from sliding farther back, Scizor powered up both pincers and lunged at Bisharp and started swinging, forcing Bisharp onto the defensive once again. Bisharp took several steps back as he held up his shield arm, each blow becoming heavier and heavier the longer he held up his defense, the last strike sending him stumbling several yards backward, almost making him lose his footing.

"Superpower!"

Scizor's body lit up with an orange glow and in a burst of alarming speed, he shot off toward Bisharp, his pincers poised to strike and end the match once and for all. As Scizor pounced, a bright gold light erupted around Bisharp's body as Seth's command pierced the air.

"Revenge!"

Scizor couldn't react fast enough as Bisharp's shield shot up to parry the brunt of the assault. The residual damage only served to empower Bisharp who swung with all his might after deflecting Scizor's pincer away from him, leaving Scizor wide open to take the tip of Bisharp's spear—backed by the damage he took previously—at full force, sending him sailing high above the arena like a rocket being launched into the atmosphere. It wasn't long before he crashed into the ground, creating a massive crater upon impact, kicking up dust and debris in the process. When the dust cleared, Scizor's mega form had dispersed and he was clearly out cold.

The judge raised his hand swiftly to make the declaration, "Scizor is unable to battle! Bisharp wins which means the match and the championship title goes to Seth Da Silva!"

A thunderous applause accompanied by intense cheering echoed through the stadium as the judge declared the victor.

"It's over! After a heated battle, Seth Da Silva has come out on top!" The announcer shouted into the microphone as the Seth and Grayson met in the center of the battlefield to shake each other's hands.

"I guess that's that huh?" Grayson said as he gave Seth a firm handshake. "I won't pretend to not be disappointed that I lost. But I guess I can't exactly say that I'm mad at the situation either. You were one hell of an opponent," Grayson said with a faint smile.

"The same could be said about you. For a moment there, I wasn't sure how I was going to get out of that trap you had me in. I'm still finding this hard to believe," Seth admitted.

"Well, it's not over just yet. After this there's bound to be one more test and if I know Allie like I think I do... it's not going to be easy," Grayson said with a sigh. "Anyway, congrats on the win Seth. Like I said before, I don't have any regrets losing here. I know for a fact that you'll treat Allie well so I don't have anything to worry about anymore," Grayson added as he made his way off the field.

As Diantha approached with the trophy, the announcer began to speak once more, gathering the attention of the crowd.

"Wasn't that a splendid battle folks!? I can honestly say that I was on the edge of my seat every moment of that match! It gives me great pleasure to award Seth Da Silva with this year's Lumiose Conference trophy. Let's hear it for Seth!" the announcer exclaimed as he walked to the center of the arena and gestured to the crowd.

Cheers exploded once more throughout the stadium for a brief moment before they were commanded to be silent once again.

"Now, as all of you know, Seth here was a contender in a competition held by Princess Allie in order to determine who would have the honor of potentially becoming her husband!" The announcer said as he turned to face Seth to continue talking. "And seeing as Seth has overcome the obstacles set before him, he has finally completed every task that was asked of him... or has he!?"

Seth's eyes shifted over to the tunnel opposite of him which began lighting up. The board that had displayed his victory message now switched to that of a split screen with another challenger's screen appearing. That's when he saw someone slowly coming out of the tunnel.

"Ladies and gentlemen, while the Lumiose Conference has indeed come to an end, there is one more event that will be taking place. As you may have guessed, Seth has but one more challenge ahead of him as per the instructions I was given by the queen herself! Please join me in welcoming last year's conference champion and princess of Kalos, Princess Allie!"

The screen lit up fully to reveal Allie's face with six balls under her image. Seth's eyes widened the moment he caught sight of Allie sauntering confidently out onto the field, her eyes ablaze with excitement and anticipation as she closed the distance between her and Seth. Walking up beside her was a nurse with a travel-sized healing machine which she would open for Seth to place his team inside.

"Hello Pauper," Allie giggled, unable to contain her laughter at the stunned look on Seth's face.

"Surprised to see me?"