The fight is quickly reaching its end. You were expecting that. Your battling style has always been to go half as long and twice as bright, and it's been no different here. Tyranitar is on its last legs, but Toxtricity isn't exactly looking good, either. Meanwhile, Slither Wing and Iron Valiant seem to be fairing better, but you can tell that fight won't be lasting much longer.

You can tell. The gigantic insect is locked in. From the bristling of its fur to the slight shivering of its wings, you know. He's locked in to the highest gear. This speeding car is heading straight towards that brick wall, and whether it smashes through or slams to a halt, it doesn't much care. It's riding high off a primordial kind of adrenaline. This next hunt will be the last, because it's not going to let up and break it. Come what may, it'll fight until the end, be it joyous or bitter. And, really, who are you to deny him that?

So, the dinosaur charges forther, and for the last time, Slither Wing and Iron Valiant clash.

Two paradoxes of vastly different eras. One, a beast of the past. The spitting image of Volcarona, one fuelled by sheer, overwhelming physical might. A monster so fierce, so dominant, that it could only be described as an apex predator. The other, a machine of the future. The echo of Gallade, a knight not armoured in steel, but made of it. A warrior that was unstoppable, driven by a code incomprehensible to the modern era, ever onward to its goal.

Claws meet blades as Close Combat meets a Psycho Cut. It's a blur of violence, so fast the naked eye can barely track it, and obscured further by the sand, the static, and the heat. It almost feels like you're watching shadows playing on a wall, rather than an actual fight between actual creatures. Yet despite your perceptions, the fight is very much real...

...And of the two silhouettes, it is the knight that lands the critical blow first, leaving the shade of the monster to crumple and collapse, defeated, slain, and conquered by his opponent.

Paradox Pokemon Study, Slither Wing, Note #3 - Despite everything, he's not invincible.

But of course, the battle isn't over yet. No, that might've been the insect's final confrontation, but there's still one challenge left to overcome before the Iron Valiant claims its victory.

BANG! After a hard-fought battle, Tyranitar hits the ground, and the endless stream of sand finally comes to a halt. Standing over him is Toxtricity, battered and worn by vicious combat and extreme exertion, but nevertheless the winner of his particular one versus one. He must've learned well from his last loss, though as he pants and gasps for air, it's clear his wasn't quite a decisive victory. Perhaps another day, he might've been the one laying unconscious on the battlefield? Not that it matters. Hypotheticals are all well and good, but Toxtricity won this time, and this time is what counts right now.

Kept upright by the crackle of lightning that has filled the arena, Toxtricity turns wary eyes towards Iron Valiant, and raises a claw that's still dripping with venom. Seems like he's got one good attack left in the tank, one last move before he's done.

And that's fine with you, because one move is all you're gonna need.

"So, Navidson, ready to put it all on the line?"

---

Navy

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Here it goes. All or nothing. One last exchange, one last clash, one last shot to decide it all. It’s just like a Paldean standoff of the old west, two gunslingers staring each other down, waiting to see who moves first. Nothing to gain and everything to lose. Or, is it the other way around? Hard to say. You’re not even sure you care either way.

Toxtricity stares at the machine in front of him with unearned confidence, but you can’t rightly call it arrogance. His body is relaxed, not a single muscle in his body tense. At a glance, you might say he wasn’t even taking this seriously, but looks can be deceiving. He’s a loaded revolver, an armed bomb, a primal force of nature with a talon on the trigger, and ready to let loose a roar of thunder. There are billions of Pokemon in the world, an uncountable number of uncountable species, but at this moment, wreathed in electricity and riding high off the thrill of battle, he might as well be the king of them all.

Just two combatants, staring each other down. That’s all that matters in this world. Nothing else could ever come close.

The moment feels like it could last forever, but nothing good ever does. So, better to relish it, both as it comes and as it goes. High noon is here. The bell tower is ringing, and the sirens are screaming in the distance. It’s time to draw.

Toxtricity lunges forward, a wild beast let off its leash. Venom and lightning pour forth from his claws in equal measure, overflowing with lethality. His is not a path charted by ironclad strategy or cold hard logic, but pure instinct. The pounding of his heart, the chill running up his spine, the twinge at the back of his skull. Those are what drive him. Those are what define him. Those are what he is banking on to bring him to victory.

With one last howl, a shout of glee and glory, he braves the blades of the Iron Valiant and thrusts his arm forward.

---

Navy

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Toxtricity was victorious. Shred Zeppelin is the winner.

But the elation of a battle hard won doesn't last more than a second. The moment its killed, but its not because the detective called back his Iron Valiant. No, it's the second after, where the crackle of electricity in the air fades, and the lizard immediately collapses backwards, spirals in his eyes and a gaping wound across his chest. It's a reminder that no matter how far you've come, you're still so far from where you want to be. If Navidson had been more ruthless with his knight, would you have even won? Or would it just be another notch in the long, long list of losses you've had in your battling career.

Oh well. No point being a sore winner, is there? Besides, you got the adrenaline rush you wanted, and you got your win back. Stifling the urge to complain, you return Toxtricity to his Pokeball. He fought hard and fought well. You'll have to celebrate his accomplishment later, but for now...

"Well, that's that, isn't it?"

Walking away from your spot on the pitch, you head over to the camera, and quickly retrieve your "research footage". Frankly, given all the sandstorms and electricity, you're not even sure it'll be remotely helpful, but hey, it's good to have, isn't it? Maybe some Rocket Scientist will cream their pants and pay out the mouth for it. More likely than that, they'll yell at you for providing such terrible material and you'll end up back on the racketeering circuit for the next few weeks. Either way, you'll find some use for it.

Hardly the time to be thinking about that, though. Not when the sirens are sounding in the distance. It's time to slip away and vanish into the night, before you end up sleeping in handcuffs.

"Time to blow this joint, yeah? See you around, bud."

---

Navy