The new Pokemon Junior World Championship winner clutched his title match with one of the franchise's most basic moves.
Over the weekend, Pokemon pros from around the world converged on London for the World Championship weekend, with competitions taking place across the TCG, Pokemon Go, Pokken Tournament, and Pokemon Sword and Shield.
Competing in the Junior VGC finals were Kiara, from Australia, and Kosaku from Japan. Kosaku claimed the first game by the skin of his teeth, his Calyrex just managing to hold out against Kiara's Kyogre to establish a one-game lead.
The start of the second game played out similarly to the first; Kiara's Tornadus and Kosaku's Whimsicott, both in supportive roles, fell early. Kosaku's Gigantamaxed Blastoise tanked up plenty of damage, while his Calyrex helped dispatch Kiara's Zacian, who had played an important role in game one. Adding to Kiara's problems was her Kartana, which struggled to deal with Blastoise at a pivotal moment in the fight.
Eventually, Kiara found herself backed against a wall, her lone Kyogre facing Kosaku's Calyrex and Blastoise, as well as the Zacian that remained on Kosaku's team. That 1v3 situation looked dire, but Kyogre wasn't out for the count just yet. Between its own Drizzle ability boosting the power of water-type moves and the lingering speed-boosting effect of Tornadus' Tailwind, it was able to nearly finish off Calyrex, and remove Blastoise from the field, bringing Zacian up for a final showdown.
Potentially faster and more powerful than its opponents, another Origin Pulse from Kyogre might have forced a deciding third game, but Kosaku had other plans. Protect ensured that Calyrex would be immune from damage, but not wanting to waste any time, Kosaku instructed Zacian to use Quick Attack.
If you've ever played a Pokemon game, you're likely familiar with Quick Attack. Not only is it a move that a vast number of Pokemon can learn (including most regional birds), it's one that you tend to see a lot in the early stages of most games due to its relative lack of power. What Quick Attack lacks in damage, however, it makes up for in speed - throughout the entire franchise, it has always allowed its user to get the first hit, no matter how fast its opponent might be. That meant that in spite of Kyogre's boosted speed, Kosaku's Zacian could dispatch it with one of Pokemon's simplest and least-flashy moves, securing the Japanese trainer the world championship
You can check out the battle in full around the five-hour mark in the video above, as well as action from throughout the finals day. Those battles will likely prove Sword and Shield's last major competitive hurrah, as Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are on their way later this year, marking the next generation of the enduring series.
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