I was starting to panic. Two Pokemon down. One left to choose. He's got two as well, and Obstagoon is huge, plus it's taken almost no damage. What to do, what to do, I worried, pacing back and forth.

Then, I noticed the Z-Ring on my arm. It had been sitting there, the whole time, not doing anything. I weighed the options, but then decided, to hell with it. This win would cost me all my hard work, and most likely my freedom, at the very least.

Chances were, Piers would hand me over to the cops as soon as he got the shot, even if I won the battle. But, if I did win, I just might be able to shock Spikemuth with my power and talent long enough to escape.

Now, to decide who to choose. Glancing down to my Z-Ring one last time, I knew exactly who to choose. "Meowsie, let's win this thing." Hopping off my shoulder, she ran onto the battlefield without any questions asked. We were thinking the same thing; we didn't have time for debate.

"Ready?" Marnie asked, glancing at both of us, one hand raised. I nodded, turning to face my opponent. Pokemon battles are like chess; You need a strategy nobody will see coming, I reminded myself. The battle isn't over yet. I can still win this...somehow.

"Battle resume!"

"Obstagoon, use Throat Chop," Piers said, and the giant raced towards us.
"Wait for it...wait for it," I murmured, waiting for the right time. The Obstagoon came closer, clawed hand glowing with power. If it hit her, it wouldn't do a whole lot of damage, but I didn't want to take any chances. "Now! Dodge it!"

Leaping with the grace of a dancer, Meowsie jumped from the path of the charging Pokemon. Stumbling, the Obstagoon slowed down just before crashing into me. "Now, quick, use Shadow Ball," I called. Twisting around, Meowsie formed a ball of pure shadow. Launching it like a bowling ball, it flew towards the Obstagoon. Before it could block it, the move connected with its head and it fell backwards.

"Wonderful," I said, giving Piers a wink. He didn't respond, his eyes trained on his Pokemon. Smart. I had to hand it to him, for an ex-gym leader with no Dynamax, his Obstagoon was tough. "Obstagoon, get up and use Throat Chop again," he said, thumping his foot to the rhythm of the now cheering Spikemuth residents.

Lunging towards Meowsie, Obstagoon charged again, and I smiled. You're playing right into my hand, Piers, I grinned. "Dodge it again," I smiled. This fight will be over in minutes. Meowsie leapt the other way this time, but I didn't get why Piers was smiling until it was too late. "Let's go," he said, thrusting a fist out.

Turning mid-sprint, the side of Obstagoon's paw connected with Meowsie's neck, and she went flying backwards. "No," I shrieked, as Meowsie landed with a thud in front of me. "Can you keep going?" I asked her.
"Yeah," she grunted, jumping back up.

"Your Meowth can talk?!" All of Spikemuth shouted in a cacophony of confusion.

"She can do a lot more than speak," I grinned, Meowsie stroking her whiskers. "Use Copycat!" Her right hand lighting up with power, she mimicked the exact move used before, Throat Chop. "Use Obstruct," Piers shouted, and Obstagoon crossed its arms just before the move hit.

The court filled up with smoke, courtesy of the aftermath of a blocked move. When it cleared, Obstagoon's arms were still crossed, and had appeared to have taken no damage whatsoever. His partner's strong, I thought. Not many Pokemon can hold off a move like that, even if it's not very effective.

"Now use Shadow Ball," I commanded, Meowsie jumping into the air to ready the attack. I needed her to buy time until I could come up with some way to get around Obstruct. "Use Throat Chop!"
"Copycat!"

Meowsie and Obstagoon were locked in some odd form of a swordfight; Clashing again and again with Throat Chop and Copycat, Meowsie bravely defending herself against her giant oppressor.

"Meowsie! Stop using Copycat and switch to Fury Swipes," I called when Obstagoon used Obstruct to stop her from connecting her paw with his neck. "Aim for the eyes!" Hissing, her claws lengthened into three-inch daggers, three on each paw.

Slashing and swiping, she cut Obstagoon again and again, ripping thin, pink lines on his already scarred arms. "Grip his arms and pull yourself up to get to his face!" I shouted.
"Shake her off, Obstagoon!" Piers countered, playing with his microphone stand like this was some sort of performance.

Obstagoon spun around quickly, taking poor Meowsie along with him, whooping and hollering, helplessly clinging to Obstagoon. "Meowsie! Don't focus on the movement," I shouted over Team Yell's cheers. "Focus on getting level with his face, then use Attract!"

"Get her off with Shadow Claw," he shouted back. Obstagoon's claws were instantly surrounded by murky shadow, and Meowsie barely had time to register that she'd gotten hit before flying back and landing shakily on her feet in front of me.

"Can you still battle?" I asked.
"Of course I can," she growled, letting Fury Swipes power up again. "That Obstagoon's gonna pay for messing up my charm!" With an ear-splitting yowl, she launched herself at the enemy before I could even shout a command.

"Meowsie, wait!" I screamed, but it wasn't quick enough.
"Use Counter," Piers smirked, watching Obstagoon glow with red energy. WHAT?! I thought, desperately trying to turn the situation around in the two seconds I had to spare.

Meowsie couldn't slow down her movement in mid-air, and instantly came into contact with Counter's shield. Throwing her back with a huge punch, Meowsie yelped as she hit the ground, bouncing and rolling back towards me.

Ahhhh! What can I do, what can I do?! I thought, panic racing through my mind. Obstagoon has taken little to no damage, Meowsie's spent, and Piers is winning! Panicking, my eyes landed on my Z-Ring. Did I want to use the incredible powers of a Z-Move to finish this battle? Or would I wait, and take the gamble that could end me? Either way, I had to decide.

"Meowsie, we've let this go on far enough," I said, and she looked back at me. I nodded to my right arm, the one with the Z-Ring. Struggling to rise, she got up on her feet, and turned to face Obstagoon, barely touched by our moves.

Crossing my arms, a bright light emitted from my Z-Ring, so blinding everyone else had to shield their eyes. "Can you hear them?" I asked Meowsie. "The spirits below, cloaked in shadows, patiently waiting to strike," I chanted, as we started a strange dance in unison.

"They have waited for centuries, yearning for their champion to bring them the sweet taste of revenge." Striking a pose, purple energy surrounded Meowsie, and the mark of a Z-Move blazed in front of her.

"Now, my beautiful dark star, you are the one to harness the darkness and unleash their hellish powers in this mortal world," I yelled over the sound of crackling Z-Aura. "Use Never-Ending Nightmare!!"

Piers just smirked, unfazed by my dramatic show. "Nice speech," he said, leaning lazily on his microphone stand. "But what's it gonna do?" Smiling like a maniac, I grinned as shadows writhed around Meowsie, churning and bubbling so obviously even Piers could be seen visibly shifting around. "Why don't we find out?" I whispered.

As Meowsie let out an echoing hiss, a hellish scene began to unfold, an illusion that took up the whole battlefield. The sky was now a royal purple, trees in the distance gnarled and black, and we were standing in a field of pitch-black nothing. Piers and Obstagoon looked terrified, sweat beading on their foreheads. I smirked. If they thought this was scary, it was about to get a whole lot worse; the hands were starting to appear.

Smoky, black arms made of pure shadow burst through the ground, reaching for Obstagoon. Panicking and scrambling backwards, my opponent's Pokemon tried desperately to escape, to outrun them, but nothing worked. Meowsie stood behind them, master of the darkness.

"I always loved this Z-Move," I smiled at the darkness around me. "It really makes you appreciate the power of ghosts." Piers, face whiter than an Ice-type, was scanning the battlefield, desperately looking for a way to get his Obstagoon away from the nightmare.

"Obstagoon, run away," Piers yelled, uncertain what to do now that the noise of the outside could not be heard. Without their rhythmic cheering to keep him focused, he seemed out of his usual groove. Even his little foot-tapping, which I noticed him doing from the beginning of our battle, had stopped.

Obstagoon turned tail and ran as fast as he could, running across the nonexistent world to get away from the murky hands, but to no avail. The moment he escaped the first few times, the hands simply dissolved and reappeared in front of him.

"It's no use trying to escape," I smirked, curling a lock of hair around my fingertip. "Nothing can outrun Never-Ending Nightmare. It never rests, never stops. It's stupid to even try."

"Obstagoon, use Obstruct!" He shouted, desperately trying to turn the battle around. Obstagoon tried to cross his arms, but a hand punching him right in the face caused him to stagger, opening the opportunity we needed. The moment he faltered, the hands struck in a coordinated attack, covering Obstagoon in shadows so thickly layered no one could see him.

"Obstagoon, no!" Piers cried out, and I let a dark, almost maniacal laughter escape me at the sight of his helpless pleas. "Let the shadows consume you, as they have swallowed your partner," I grinned, my evil overlord emerging at the sudden sound of Obstagoon's screams of terror.

Then, just as quickly as they had come, the shadows sunk back into the ground and the illusion dissipated. The crowds were silent, staring in horror at Meowsie and I, and Obstagoon's lifeless form on the ground. He was lying face-down on the stadium floor, completely immobile, and I couldn't even make out the telltale rising and falling of his chest.

Marnie was in total shock, eyes nearly triple in size and watching in horror at her brother desperately pleading for his partner to rise. Then, a split second later, Meowsie stumbled and fell to her knees, panting heavily and occasionally coughing.

I knew Z-Moves spent a lot of a Pokemon's energy when used, and after unleashing a move like Never-Ending Nightmare, it was a miracle Meowsie was still conscious at all. After a few seconds, Marnie shook off her shock and resumed her role as referee. "Obstagoon is...unable to battle. M-Meowsie is the-"

Suddenly, with a huge gasp, Obstagoon awoke, eyes flicking around the court nervously. He was panting hard, gulping down the musty city air like he hadn't breathed in ages, and trembling like a leaf.

Piers let out a small cry of relief when he saw his partner awake and still moving, and immediately after, Spikemuth erupted into wild cheers and started jumping up and down with joy.

"No," I gasped in disbelief as Obstagoon shakily rose to his feet. "How?! Nothing's ever withstood our Z-Move before!"
"Either way, we're takin' advantage of it," Piers mocked me, as I stood frozen in shock. "Obstagoon, use Throat Chop!"

Time seemed to slow down as Obstagoon regained his strength and charged Meowsie, who was still barely awake and on her paws and knees. I was frozen like a statue as his claws connected with her throat, sending her flying back with a shriek and landing in a stack of crates with a sickening crack of wood.

Somehow, I found myself at her side, gazing into the ruined rubble of wooden splinters where Meowsie was lying, unconscious and defeated.