"It will be the Manticores who win all the rounds... I am even shocked that you guys think otherwise," Fred shook his head at Gee and Lee.

  "No one said they 't, but if they lose even one round in this battle and the Beast Brothers win all of theirs, they will take the trophy," Lee pointed out adamantly.

  "But—"

  Whatever Fred had been about to say was cut off.

  "Wele, one and all, to the st battle day of the season!" a voice suddenly boomed across the arena, drowning out the argument the three had been having about who would get the league trophy.

  "All the twenty teams across ten arenas are also pying their final battle today, but the real fight is between the Flying Manticores, who will be pyihis evening..."

  The entary was cut off by a thunderous roar that made Magnus' eardrums itch.

  "And... and..." The entator seemed to have adjusted the pitch of his voice as he tinued.

  "The Beast Brothers, who..." Another roar of the crowd drowned out his words. The majority of the arena booed at the mention of their petitors, while a smaller se on the opposite stand cheered with surprising energy, seeing they were almost a quarter of the stadium.

  Those must be the Silver Griffins fans, Magnus decided. Either that, or a part of the Beast Brothers' fans who've chosen to attend their rivals' matstead of their own.

  "Alright... alright, folks..." the entator roared, trying to calm the heated atmosphere.

  "Here are the standings betweewo rivals as of now."

  At this, every noise died down as if a Deluminator had been activated. But instead of sug away the light, it seemed to absorb all sound.

  No one appreciated the silence more than Magnus.

  "After eighteen battles each, they have both won fourteen and lost four. Thus, both the Beasts and the Manticores have forty-two points each," the entator paused for effect.

  Magnus began to uand why people were so fident in Charizard. Maybe he had been too overfident.

  If these people didn't sider type advahen Gyarados lost its edge, and the oute came down to the teams' skill. And to have won fourteen battles, the Manticores must have incredible skill.

  These thoughts were, however, cut off as the entary resumed.

  "Today's battle is, therefore, a must-win for both teams... all three rounds."

  Even the previously r crowd seemed caught iension that followed this annou, and Magnus knew why.

  No matter how good a team was, there was always room for doubt. The stakes were incredibly high for the Manticores—they had everything to lose.

  The Griffins, oher hand, had no pressure. Losing wouldn’t ge much for them, but they’d definitely love to be the oo deny their rivals the trophy.

  Strike when it hurts the most.

  "And now... dies aleme us wele today’s referee!"

  There was det g and some cheers as a middle-aged wizard in bd-white striped robes zoomed into the arena on a broomstiding gracefully at the ter.

  Immediately upon nding, the referee took out his wand and poi into the spa front of him. He then stepped two paces to the left, repeated the a, then moved three steps to the right and did the same.

  Magnus had no idea what the man was doing, as he could her see nor hear anything. He guessed it was some kind of spell.

  The entator answered his unspokeion.

  "And now that our referee has cast the shields, it’s time t iwo teams. Wizards and witches, to the left, I give you the Silver Griffins!"

  There was a roar of appuse from the fans on the opposite stands as the gates on the far left opewo youthful wizards in silvery robes walked in, mouheir broomsticks, and kicked off the ground.

  They zoomed in front of their fans, bowing and waving amidst the cheering, befracefully desding to the left half of the ground and bowing to the referee, who bowed back.

  "And to the right..." The magically magnified voice was drowned out again by the thunderous roar that erupted from the stands where Magnus and his friends sat, even before the man could finish his introdu.

  Magnus faintly heard the entator calling out "The Flying Manticores" amidst the roar.

  True to their name, whees on the right opewo figures in green robes shot into the stadium, crisscrossing each other on their broomsticks like a rearing dragon.

  Magnus could hear Fred screaming over the hat’s their signature move—coht?"

  Magnus nodded relutly. He hated agreeing with people who might make him sleep hungry and cold tonight, but he couldn’t deny that the Manticores had style.

  The duo swooped across their stands, bowing and waving amidst the cheering and appuse.

  They passed near where the four of them were seated, and Magnus noticed they appeared even youhan the Griffins.

  "Well, charm doesn’t stop a Gyarados," Magnus psyched himself up as he smirked at the duo.

  After two more circles, the grinning pair joiheir oppos at the ter and simirly bowed to the referee and the Griffins, who bowed back.

  The noise of the crowd died down again, as if everyone was holding their breath in anticipation.

  Magnus noticed the tension around him. Some spectators teetered on their seats as if afraid to miss a single moment.

  At the ter, both teams, along with the referee, had mouheir brooms and risen off the ground.

  "And now... the Pokémon!"

  Whatever barriers had been holding the creatures were lifted simultaneously because what followed happeoo fast.

  Magnus saw two figures blitzing from opposite ends, each followed by a distinct roar.

  It wasn’t from the crowd.

  No.

  The stadium was in hushed awe mingled with anticipation.

  The two creatures hit the ter, but the csh Magnus expected never came. Instead, both were thrown backward by an invisible barrier, stopped by their own momentum.

  It must have been the Protego spells cast earlier.

  The referee had anticipated this kind of entrance.

  Magnus now uood why both pyers and the referee had mouheir brooms before the Pokémon were released.

  The invisible barrier seemed to infuriate the creatures further. Both s each other from their respective ends, trying to reach each other through the shield.

  The crowd, which had been held in awe, now roared to life once more.

  Now that the Pokémon were less mobile, Magnus had time to observe them closely.

  Ohing became clear: her Gyarados nor Charizard appeared cartoonish like in the anime.

  Charizard could pass as a regur dragon, except its body wasn’t e like in the ahe brilliant fmes burning at the tip of its swooshing tail, however, were unmistakable.

  Gyarados, oher hand, remairue to its depi. Its lithe, dark-blue segmented body, spiky , and fiery red eyes pleted its intimidating serpentine form.

  The referee pointed his wand at his throat, and his voied across the arena.

  "Pyers, please magnify your voices!"

  Both pyers mimicked the referee’s a, casting the Sonorous spell.

  "Good move," Magnus thought. This would help him follow the ands given.

  "And now... in three, two, one... FIGHT!"

  The st word was shouted, and the referee's wand moved lightning-fast. When it fell, Magnus khe protective barrier betweewo Pokémon had been broken

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