"Welcome, everyone, to the final showdown of this year's World Championship!" called out the announcer. "I'm Christopher, your commentator for this historic match!"

"What's about to unfold is the Advanced Class Final. The victor of this battle will earn the right to challenge a member of the Masters Eight for their seat at the top."

"I know fans across the world have been counting down the days to this moment. Both Naoki and Tobias have fought their way here without losing a single match, starting from the Super Class all the way to today's final."

"First, we have Naoki, a mysterious trainer from the Paldea region. He lives in seclusion, and his strength has become the stuff of legend. Many up-and-coming trainers idolize him. It's even said that he hasn't shown his full power yet."

"On the other side stands Tobias, the champion of the Lily of the Valley Conference and the trainer chosen by a Legendary Pokémon. He didn't just dominate the Lily of the Valley tournament, he also swept every opponent from the General Class to now without breaking a sweat."

"There's no question about it. Both of these trainers have what it takes to claim a spot among the Masters Eight. But only one will come out on top. Who will it be? We're about to find out!"

Christopher's eyes sparkled with anticipation as he looked down from the elevated commentator's stage to the grand battlefield below.

"But before the match begins," he continued, "we're joined by a special guest who will walk us through the official rules. Please welcome Mr. Duncan!"

A chorus of bright lights swept across the stadium. From above, a middle-aged man in a referee's uniform descended into the arena, riding a Braviary like a flying chariot. He came to a stop between Naoki and Tobias with practiced ease.

"After a final decision by the Pokémon World Championship Committee," Duncan announced, his voice firm and professional, "the rules for today's match will be a standard six-on-six single battle."

"Each trainer may use six Pokémon. Only one Pokémon per side will be allowed on the battlefield at a time. The battle continues until all six Pokémon on one side are unable to continue."

"Now, trainers, please take your positions and prepare to battle."

Naoki and Tobias locked eyes across the battlefield.

Neither spoke, but both moved at the same time.

From their right hands, they each pulled out a Poké Ball.

Seeing this, Duncan raised his whistle and gave it a sharp, clear blow.

"The battle begins!"

With a single motion, both trainers hurled their Poké Balls into the air, red-and-white spheres spinning like twin comets before bursting open in brilliant flashes of light.

Rotom Drone cameras zipped overhead, tracking the release with pinpoint precision. Across the world, millions of viewers leaned in, hearts pounding as the giant screen displayed the emerging Pokémon.

Who would these titans send out to open this legendary clash?

In a swirl of black mist, a figure took shape on Tobias's side. Its body rippled like smoke, its eyes glowing an eerie blue, and a blood-red collar drifted around its neck like a scarf of dread.

"It's Darkrai!" Christopher roared from the commentator's box. "Tobias has brought out the Legendary Nightmare Pokémon right from the start!"

Before the crowd could even process that, a second light struck the battlefield.

This time, the light did not drift or waver. It slammed into the ground with force, forming a towering warrior with a battle-hardened presence. Muscles taut, eyes sharp as blades, and a wave of water energy rippling beneath his fur.

"It's Urshifu!" Christopher shouted again, his voice cracking with excitement. "Naoki is opening with his Rapid Strike Style Urshifu!"

The stadium trembled with applause and gasps. Urshifu was a legend in his own right, known throughout Galar and beyond for his blistering speed and devastating combos. But to pit him against a Darkrai?

No one expected this.

The battle had begun, and already the tension was suffocating.

Tobias's gaze narrowed. He had studied Urshifu's fighting style. A single mistake could cost everything.

"Darkrai, Dark Void," he commanded coldly.

Darkrai's form blurred as its claws drew together, gathering a vortex of nightmare energy. The air around it warped, heavy with dark power. If that move landed, Urshifu would fall into sleep, helpless to the follow-up. 

But Naoki was ready.

"Dodge and counter with Aqua Jet!"

Urshifu didn't even blink. In one heartbeat, he vanished.

A streak of glowing blue shot forward across the field, leaving only a blast of mist in his wake. The camera struggled to track him. In the very next moment, he was in front of Darkrai.

His fist surged with oceanic power. Not water, but a crushing tide forged into a blow.

He struck.

The impact sounded like a cannon. Darkrai was hurled back like a ragdoll, its shadowy body distorting as it smashed into the arena floor and skidded across the stone.

The audience screamed in disbelief.

Tobias's jaw clenched.

But Darkrai wasn't down yet. It recovered mid-air, twisted, and lifted its claw again.

"Ice Beam, now!"

A blast of sub-zero energy erupted from Darkrai's hand. The air crackled as the temperature plummeted. Shards of frozen vapor rushed toward Urshifu like a blizzard forged into a single lance.

"Don't let it breathe," Naoki snapped. "Surging Strikes!"

Urshifu roared.

He darted in again, faster than before. As he moved, streaks of white air coiled around his arms like twin tornadoes. His fists pulsed with energy, each strike building momentum for the next.

The Ice Beam met him head-on.

But Urshifu didn't flinch.

With a brutal howl, he punched through the frozen blast, scattering ice in every direction. Shards rained down like glass.

Tobias's eyes widened. 

The moment the Ice Beam was shattered by Urshifu's surging fist, the nightmare Pokémon was left wide open. Naoki didn't hesitate.

"Finish it," he said, his voice calm as thunder.

Urshifu's eyes flared with focus. The pressure around him intensified as he dashed forward, closing the gap with terrifying speed. His fist burned with oceanic force, the winds howling behind him.

The second blow landed clean.

Darkrai's body contorted from the impact. But before it could even recover, the third strike crashed into its chest like a tidal wave slamming a cliffside. Its form unraveled mid-air, black mist flaring wildly in all directions.

The final punch came from above.

Urshifu roared as he slammed his fist down with a crushing explosion of power.

Darkrai was launched backward, helpless, its body twisting through the air before smashing into the reinforced barrier at the edge of the battlefield.

A thunderous boom echoed through the stadium.

Darkrai's ghostly form hit the shield hard, and for a second, it hung there, limp, barely conscious, before sliding down the wall like a falling shadow, hitting the ground with a dull thud.

Silence.

The crowd was frozen.

Tobias's Darkrai, the nightmare bringer, the Pokémon that once swept entire tournaments, had just been obliterated.

Not over time.

Not after a drawn-out clash.

But in seconds.

Stunned silence gave way to gasps, then a wave of disbelief and awe that swept through the audience like a storm.

Christopher's voice, usually steady and booming, cracked with emotion as he gripped the microphone. "Darkrai… is down! Naoki's Urshifu has knocked out Tobias's Darkrai in just one devastating barrage!"

The Rotom drone zoomed in on Urshifu as he stood in the center of the field. Steam coiled from his fur, his fists lowered, shoulders rising and falling with deep, rhythmic breath. His calm gaze never left the spot where Darkrai had fallen.

The sheer pressure of his aura was still thick in the air.

So this was Naoki's true strength?

Even veteran trainers in the audience stood up in disbelief, hearts racing. For a moment, time seemed to stop.

Duncan, the referee, blinked and snapped out of his trance. He descended on his Shield Blade platform, landing beside Darkrai's collapsed form. After a quick inspection, he raised his arm high.

"Darkrai is unable to battle," he announced. "Naoki is the winner of this round!"

The stadium erupted.

A sea of cheers, camera flashes, and roaring disbelief flooded the arena.

On his side of the field, Tobias stared calmly at the Poké Ball in his hand.

Without a word, he held it out and recalled Darkrai in a burst of red light.

"Rest well," he murmured. "You did what you could."

Realizing that today's match was unlike anything he had faced before, Tobias's expression turned serious.

He exhaled slowly. "So... the second round will be yours."

Without hesitation, he reached for another Poké Ball from his belt.