In the arena, the tension reached its peak as the final battle between Venusaur and Scyther was about to begin.
At the referee's signal, Scyther launched the first attack. It moved like lightning, instantly using "Fury Cutter," turning into a streak of light as it charged at Venusaur, its razor-sharp forelimbs swinging rapidly, aiming to catch Venusaur off guard.
However, Venusaur remained calm and composed. It steadily used "Vine Whip" to defend, its tough vines whipping out and clashing violently with Scyther's forelimbs, producing a crisp, loud sound.
Scyther's attack missed, and it quickly adjusted its stance, then unleashed "X-Scissor." Its dual scythes crossed, striking at Venusaur with fierce momentum. In response, Venusaur spat out "Bullet Seed." Countless seeds, like dense bullets, shot toward Scyther with a whistling wind, forcing it to halt its attack and dodge hastily.
After a brief pause to catch its breath, Scyther charged again. This time, it used "Swords Dance," its aura surging dramatically, clearly aiming for a decisive blow. Venusaur cleverly employed "Synthesis" to rapidly restore its stamina. At the same time, it seized the moment to release "Sleep Powder," attempting to put Scyther to sleep. But Scyther, with its agile movements, nimbly avoided the powder.
Then, it used "Quick Attack," rushing at Venusaur with blinding speed. Venusaur couldn't evade in time and took the swift hit, staggering slightly, but it quickly steadied itself and spat out "Poison Powder," accurately hitting Scyther.
By this point in the battle, Scyther was showing signs of fatigue. Moreover, it had accidentally been contaminated by Venusaur's move and was now poisoned. Although Venusaur had sustained some damage, its recovery ability was formidable.
As time slowly passed, Scyther's poisoning worsened, and its movements grew sluggish. Venusaur seized this perfect opportunity, repeatedly using "Vine Whip" and "Bullet Seed" to attack Scyther relentlessly. In the end, Scyther, weakened by poison and exhaustion, collapsed heavily onto the arena floor.
Venusaur, relying on its powerful recovery and enduring combat ability, managed to drag out and win this incredibly tough battle.
With that, the Elite Group competition concluded. The champion was Venusaur, the runner-up was Scyther, and the third-place finishers were Gogoat and another Venusaur.
Li Wen approached the somewhat dejected Gogoat, gently stroking its head, and said in a warm tone, "Don't be discouraged, Gogoat. Getting third place is already an amazing achievement. Every charge and every clash you made on the field showed admirable courage and resilience. This is just one match; there are many more challenging battles ahead waiting for us. I believe you'll grow stronger and more outstanding."
Gogoat seemed to understand Li Wen's comfort. Its previously lowered head lifted slightly, and a renewed spark of determination lit up in its eyes.
On the other side, the Scyther family appeared somewhat disheartened and disappointed. They had been confident of securing the championship, only to miss out on the top spot. The family members gathered together, quietly discussing their mistakes and shortcomings in the match, their faces grim, silently vowing to redeem themselves and reclaim their glory in future competitions.
Meanwhile, the Venusaur family was immersed in a sea of joy, with laughter and cheers rising and falling. They felt proud and honored that their family member had won the championship, embracing each other in celebration, the atmosphere lively and exuberant, as if the whole world was filled with happiness and bliss.
After a short rest, the final Gym-level competition was about to begin. On Wen Qi's side, only Scizor was suitable to participate. The other competitors were from the Venusaur and Scyther families. Among them, Wen Qi's Scizor was level 52, the Venusaur side had two at level 55 and one at level 59, while the Scyther side had one at level 54, one at level 56, and the last one was the quasi-champion-level Scyther leader at level 60.
Seeing this level distribution, Wen Qi knew clearly that the likely winner would be the Scyther leader.
Soon, the seven Pokémon began drawing lots. The process was tense and orderly, each Pokémon watching the draw box with unwavering, expectant, and slightly nervous eyes.
First, Wen Qi's Scizor drew number 1. Then the Venusaur drew in turn: a level 55 got number 2, a level 57 got number 3, and a level 58 got number 5. The Scyther followed: a level 54 got number 4, and a level 58 got number 6. When all Pokémon had drawn, everyone was surprised to find that the Scyther leader had drawn a bye.
This result made the other competing Pokémon breathe a sigh of relief, their faces breaking into happy smiles. They all knew that, given their current strength, it would be difficult to contend with the powerful Scyther leader, so letting it advance directly to the semifinals was a decent outcome.
Next up was the battle between the level 52 Scizor and the level 55 Venusaur. The match began quickly, and Wen Qi cheered excitedly from the sidelines for Scizor. Not only that, but all of Wen Qi's other Pokémon also joined in, shouting encouragement for Scizor.
At the start of the battle, Scizor's eyes were sharp, its carapace gleaming with a cold light, as if clad in an impenetrable suit of armor. It first used "Agility," its form becoming like the wind, darting across the field as a nearly invisible blur. Its speed was so great that Venusaur struggled to pinpoint its location, nervously looking around, on high alert.
Venusaur didn't dare to be careless and quickly used "Protect," forming a translucent green barrier around its body. Mysterious energy flowed faintly on the barrier, seeming to pulse slightly, as it tried to block Scizor's relentless assault. However, Scizor's speed was too fast. Seizing the gap in Venusaur's defense, it followed up with "Quick Attack," charging at Venusaur like a dazzling bolt of lightning. Its sharp claws gleamed with chilling light, carrying immense force, and shattered Venusaur's defensive barrier with a loud bang.
Venusaur took the powerful hit, staggering and nearly falling. But it quickly regained its composure, took a deep breath, and prepared to counterattack. At that moment, Venusaur spat out "Bullet Seed," sending countless energy-laden seeds flying toward Scizor like dense bullets. Each seed glowed faintly, whistling through the air.
Scizor remained calm, skillfully using "Double Team." Instantly, its form split into multiple illusory figures, causing Venusaur's attacks to miss entirely. The clones were like phantom images, hard to distinguish, dazzling to the eye. Then, Scizor struck with lightning speed using "X-Scissor." Its claws crossed and swung, carving two intersecting arcs of cold light, slashing at Venusaur with immense power. This attack seemed to tear through the air, accompanied by a fierce wind.
Venusaur couldn't dodge in time and took the full force of the blow. Two deep wounds appeared on its body, green sap oozing out, looking quite pitiful. Venusaur began to panic. It pulled itself together and swung its thick "Vine Whip" in retaliation. The vines lashed out like agile pythons, whistling toward Scizor with a whooshing sound. But Scizor, with its incredible speed, nimbly evaded the vine attacks.
Then, it closed in on Venusaur and unleashed "Close Combat." Its claws struck Venusaur rapidly and fiercely, like a storm, each blow carrying immense power and precise angles, leaving Venusaur with no chance to fight back, only to defend. Under the relentless barrage of attacks, Venusaur gradually ran out of stamina and eventually collapsed to the ground, gasping heavily. Scizor, relying on its superior speed and powerful offense, successfully defeated Venusaur, winning this intense battle.