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"What is that thing?" someone in the crowd asked with a trembling voice.
"I... I don't know," another spectator replied, their voice shaking with fear.
A terrible aura pressed down on everyone's hearts like a massive boulder. Their terror originated from the demonic entity that had manifested on the battlefield before them.
Chris stood with his arms crossed over his chest, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he observed the crowd's reaction.
This was Gengar's Demon God Shadow technique - a manifestation of pure fear and supernatural power. Compared to other Ghost-type moves he had witnessed, Gengar's Phantom Force truly lived up to its fearsome reputation.
The apparition possessed a humanoid form with massive wings extending from its back. Its eyes gazed coldly down upon the world below, while dark orbs of energy swirled menacingly around its imposing figure.
It was difficult to comprehend what Gengar's understanding of fear must be to condense such a terrifying demonic figure using Ghost-type energy and the very essence of terror itself.
Machamp, who had been charging forward with unstoppable momentum, couldn't help but halt in its tracks. The Fighting-type looked up at the supernatural entity towering above the battlefield.
What exactly was this creature?
Machamp's trainer Glenn found himself asking the same question. Neither he nor his Pokemon had any way of knowing what they were facing, but both understood instinctively that this would be an extraordinarily dangerous opponent.
Machamp stood frozen in place. The Pokemon wasn't retreating out of cowardice - it felt no fear in the traditional sense - but as it faced this demonic adversary, its steel-like body had begun trembling involuntarily.
Glenn quickly noticed his longtime partner's condition and immediately reached into his pocket, pulling out a Dynamax band and securing it around his wrist.
Without hesitation, he gave his command. "Dynamax!"
He recalled Machamp into its Poke Ball and immediately released it again, this time activating the Dynamax phenomenon.
A Machamp with a towering, gigantic body appeared on the battlefield. Its fists now resembled pure molten lava that had been forged in the depths of a volcano.
The Dynamax transformation elevated Machamp's combat capabilities to an entirely new level, finally allowing it to stop trembling when facing the demonic apparition.
"So you were hiding Dynamax capability?" Chris said with genuine surprise. He hadn't noticed Glenn wearing a Dynamax band earlier and had assumed the champion didn't possess one.
It seemed this was simply another ace up his opponent's sleeve.
But Chris had his own hidden techniques as well.
Chris silently retrieved a purple crystal from his pocket and pressed it against his Z-Power bracelet with practiced precision.
"Z-Move: Never-Ending Nightmare!"
Chris had originally considered using Gigantamax in response, but since Gengar had already activated its Demon God Shadow technique, it would be too complicated to recall and re-release his Pokemon. It was better to use a Z-Move to end this battle decisively.
Mega Gengar raised one hand and began condensing a small, dark purple energy sphere that resembled a Shadow Ball in appearance.
Pointing downward, Gengar released the energy ball into the opened Dark Spirit Battlefield below.
In the blink of an eye, the Dark Spirit Battlefield began churning and boiling like turbulent water. The dark purple terrain surged and twisted with supernatural energy.
The Dynamax Machamp suddenly felt the ground beneath its feet become unstable. Before it could react, its massive feet had already begun sinking into what had become a dark purple quagmire.
"Thud! Thud! Thud!" Countless ghostly arms emerged from the supernatural bog, grasping at Machamp's ankles, grabbing its thighs, clutching its waist, shoulders, and head in an attempt to drag the Fighting-type deeper into the spiritual depths.
"Machamp, use G-Max Chi Strike!" Glenn commanded calmly, immediately calling for his most powerful move.
The Dynamax Machamp began struggling frantically, attempting to gather all its strength to unleash G-Max Chi Strike and shatter all the ghostly hands restraining it. However, no matter how much force it exerted, the endless spectral appendages acted like a genuine quagmire - the harder Machamp struggled, the faster it sank.
Glenn's eyelids twitched involuntarily as he couldn't help but think to himself about just how incredibly overpowered this move was.
He quickly reached for another Poke Ball on his belt.
"Dragonite, use Hurricane!"
If the Dynamax Pokemon couldn't break free using its own strength, then he as the trainer would have to assist with his other Pokemon.
However, just as Dragonite emerged from its Poke Ball and before its small wings could even create a single gust of wind, a black beam of devastating energy pierced straight through the Dragon-type's body. The powerful impact sent Dragonite crashing directly into the battlefield wall.
The rotund Dragon-type slowly slid down from the wall and collapsed onto the ground, completely unconscious.
The main Pokemon, Dynamax Machamp, had not yet been defeated, but Dragonite, which had been deployed as a support Pokemon, had been instantly knocked out!
Glenn traced the path of the black energy beam back to its source and saw a single finger.
It was the demonic entity that had defeated Dragonite in one shot using energy emitted from just one finger.
This proved that the demon wasn't merely for intimidation - it possessed genuine combat capabilities of its own!
Glenn's plan to release his second support Pokemon to help the Dynamax Machamp was quickly abandoned. The demonic figure showed no intention of lowering its finger, giving off a clear message: if you send out another Pokemon, I will immediately destroy it as well.
This left Glenn in an impossible situation, while Machamp remained powerless to resist the supernatural assault.
Eventually, the Dynamax Machamp sank completely into the ghostly quagmire, triggering a massive explosion.
The violent eruption of power instantly shattered even the Dark Spirit Battlefield itself. The sound of explosions echoed endlessly throughout the arena.
Through the thick haze and smoke, the Iron Alliance battlefield returned to its original state. Even the ground, which appeared sturdy but was actually quite fragile, showed no signs of damage or fragmentation.
Many spectators stared in bewilderment, somewhat dazed by what they had witnessed.
Had the battle even begun yet?
No - the battle was already over.
On the flat arena floor, the Dynamax Machamp had already returned to its normal size, lying powerlessly on the ground. Its eyes showed the telltale spiral pattern indicating it had completely lost the ability to fight.
While Ghost-type moves don't have a type advantage over Fighting-types, when facing such an absolute gap in power, even Machamp's incredible physical conditioning could only lead to one outcome.
Upon seeing the final result, the entire Iron Alliance battlefield fell into stunned silence.
Then suddenly, overwhelming applause erupted from the crowd.
"Incredible! It was over in seconds! The former champion was defeated by a single move!"
"Glenn and Chris aren't even in the same league as opponents!"
"Oh no... my poor Glenn! That defeat was devastating!"
Amidst the noise and commotion, the referee who also served as the event host snapped back to reality and quickly made the official announcement.
"Machamp is unable to battle! Therefore, the final winner is challenger Chris!"
"Let us cheer for the crowning of our new champion!"
Throughout the crowd, the cheers and applause became even more intense and enthusiastic.
It had to be acknowledged that the Ferrum Region was not inferior to the Galar Region when it came to passion for Pokemon battles.
Glenn stood with his mouth slightly open, feeling a sense of suffocation wash over him.
He hadn't experienced the feeling of defeat in such a long time. Looking at his opponent - someone roughly the same age as his own son who had just completely overwhelmed him in battle - he felt a profound realization.
"Perhaps... it's time for me to venture outside and see the vast world beyond this region," he thought to himself.
Chris stood on the battlefield accepting everyone's applause, but his mind was no longer focused on this particular battle. Instead, his attention was drawn to a notification that had appeared before him.
[Notification: Champion defeats currently recorded: 7/10]
[Note: When the number of defeated champions reaches 10, the Pokemon Tournament will automatically activate, and all Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, and Champions that have been defeated will participate in the Pokemon Tournament!]