Under everyone's expectant gaze, Tobias raised his Poké Ball and threw it high into the air.
A burst of light flashed.
"Latios!"
A blue-and-white, streamlined Pokémon appeared above the battlefield, hovering calmly in the air.
The stadium erupted at once.
"Oh my god, it's Latios!"
"Tobias's second Pokémon is also a Legendary Pokémon?!"
"That's insane!"
"Gary might actually be in danger this time."
"Yeah, Tobias already has two Legendary Pokémon."
"What are you panicking for? Gary has Latios too. He also has Zapdos and Heatran. That's three."
"But what if Tobias has a third Legendary?"
"…"
The appearance of Latios pushed the atmosphere of the Lily of the Valley Conference to its highest point so far. Darkrai alone had already carried Tobias all the way to the semifinals. Now that he had revealed Latios, everyone was curious to see just how deep his team really was.
On the field, Ash looked at Latios, then glanced at Sceptile.
"Sceptile, come back and rest."
He took out Sceptile's Poké Ball and recalled it.
Gary, watching from the Pokémon Center, nodded slightly. Sceptile had just used Leaf Storm to defeat Darkrai, so its special attack had dropped. Switching it out now would clear that negative effect.
"The Ash player has recalled Sceptile," the commentator said. "Who will he send out to face Tobias's Latios?"
Gary was curious too.
Based on Ash's Pokémon, Charizard should have been the best choice to fight Latios. It had power, experience, and aerial mobility.
But Ash didn't reach for Charizard's Poké Ball.
Instead, he took out a pink Poké Ball.
Gary recognized it immediately.
"A Heal Ball…"
Ash rarely used Heal Balls. In fact, there was only one Pokémon he had ever caught with one.
Ash looked down at the Poké Ball in his hand and spoke softly.
"I know you don't like fighting, but this time… I can only ask you for help."
Then he threw it.
Light burst open, and a Pokémon with a sleek, elegant body appeared in the air.
It was Latias.
The stadium went quiet for half a second.
Then the noise exploded.
"What?! Latias?!"
"Ash has a Legendary Pokémon too?!"
"No way! He was hiding something like this?"
"This semifinal is ridiculous!"
In the stands, Barry grabbed his head with both hands.
"How does Ash have a Latias?!"
Dawn was just as stunned. "Ash has Latias? Brock, did you know about this?"
Brock nodded. "I knew. Ash met and caught her back in Alto Mare. Her brother, Latios, is with Gary."
Barry stared at him.
"Gary has Latios, and Ash has Latias? Are you kidding me? That's too unfair!"
On the battlefield, Tobias was also visibly surprised.
He had expected Ash to have strong Pokémon. After all, anyone who reached the semifinals could not be weak. But he hadn't expected Ash to own a Legendary Pokémon—and definitely not Latias.
Latios reacted even more strongly.
The moment it saw Latias, its expression changed. It no longer looked willing to fight. Instead, it turned back toward Tobias and let out a low cry, clearly protesting.
The commentator noticed it too.
"Latios seems to be reacting strangely. Is it refusing to battle Latias?"
Gary saw the scene on the screen and smiled faintly.
"Interesting."
If Latios refused to fight Latias, then Tobias would have no choice but to switch Pokémon. If Ash played this well, he might actually force Tobias to reveal a fourth Pokémon.
Gary stood up.
"I should go watch this in person."
He left the Pokémon Center and headed back to the stadium through the passage reserved for competitors.
By the time he arrived, the battle had already changed.
Latios was no longer on the field.
Instead, another Pokémon stood opposite Latias.
It was Heatran.
[Lv. 63 Latias / Quasi-Legendary]
[Lv. 64 Heatran / Quasi-Legendary]
Gary stopped for a moment.
"Heatran?"
He hadn't expected Tobias to have one too. This Heatran's level wasn't as high as Tobias's Darkrai, but it was still a powerful Legendary Pokémon.
On the field, the situation was actually favorable for Ash.
Latias was mainly a special attacker, but her special defense was also excellent. On top of that, she could fly, while Heatran was stuck attacking from the ground. Most of Heatran's long-range moves were special attacks, so even when they landed, the damage to Latias was limited.
Of course, Heatran had its own advantages too.
Its Steel typing gave it strong resistance against many of Latias's usual Psychic- and Dragon-type attacks. Both sides had good defensive matchups, so the battle wasn't ending quickly.
But Latias had the aerial advantage.
She kept moving through the air, using her speed to avoid direct hits while firing Aura Sphere again and again to wear Heatran down.
Gary watched with some surprise.
"When did she learn Aura Sphere?"
Latias had never liked battling much. Gary had assumed that even Ash would have trouble convincing her to train seriously. But now, she was clearly much stronger than before.
Another Aura Sphere formed in front of Latias and shot down.
Heatran tried to endure it, but the attack struck cleanly and knocked it hard into the ground.
Boom!
Heatran collapsed, its eyes spinning.
The referee raised his flag.
"Heatran is unable to battle! Latias wins!"
The stadium cheered loudly.
"Amazing! Latias defeated Heatran!"
"I didn't expect Ash to fight this well in the semifinals."
"Yeah, Ash has entered the League Conference many times, but this might be his best performance yet."
Ash was not unknown in the League scene. He had participated in several regional Conferences and always managed to reach the main tournament. Even at the Indigo Plateau Conference, because of Gary's presence, Ash had also drawn attention.
He had never won a championship, but he had appeared on television enough times that many viewers recognized him. And since he had fought Gary more than once in past Conferences, some of Gary's fame had naturally spilled over onto him.
Now, with Latias defeating Tobias's Heatran, the audience's impression of Ash rose sharply.
The commentator's voice rang out again.
"Tobias's Heatran has been defeated! What Pokémon will he send out next?"
Everyone looked toward Tobias.
It probably would not be Latios. Latios had already shown that it was unwilling to fight Latias.
That meant Tobias had to reveal another Pokémon.
Gary watched from the players' area, his interest growing.
He really hadn't expected Ash to push Tobias this far.