"What a terrifying power! Ursaluna's Earthquake was absolutely monstrous. Even though Drapion struggled desperately to resist, it still stood no chance before Ursaluna."
"I never thought I'd see an Elite Four member defeated this easily."
"Against such a frightening Ursaluna, how will Elite Four Bertha—no, Aaron—respond? Let's wait and see!"
The announcer's words jolted the crowd back into reality, and soon the stadium filled with chatter.
"???"
"What the heck is that thing?!"
"My big bad Drapion, flattened by a single rock like it was nothing?!"
"I don't usually watch these matches, but… has Aaron's Drapion always been this weak?"
"No way. I remember it being pretty strong before. Did it just get washed since the last time?"
The audience was stunned. Drapion had been demolished in seconds, leaving casual spectators with their jaws hanging open.
Even Aaron himself could hardly believe it.
Why?! His Drapion had nearly full HP and a doubled defense stat, yet was one-shotted.
Level suppression? Type advantage? Guts-boosted bonuses and other stacked buffs?
…Oh. Well, that explains it.
Sighing inwardly, Aaron forced himself to calm down.
"Return, Drapion."
Recovering quickly, he switched his focus and tossed another Poké Ball.
"Go, Vespiquen!"
Everyone knew Aaron's Drapion was formidable, but compared to his Vespiquen's all-around strength, it paled in comparison. Against Ursaluna's Ground typing, the airborne Vespiquen clearly had the advantage.
"Buzzz…"
The elegant yet intimidating Vespiquen floated quietly in midair, sharp eyes gleaming.
"Defend Order! Attack Order!"
With a gesture of her arms, a swarm of six glowing Combee-like energy drones spilled forth from the honeycomb beneath her gown.
Two of them coated Vespiquen in energy raising her Defense and Special Defense, while the other four launched beams or dove in kamikaze-style strikes against Ursaluna.
"Use Rock Tomb! Then Stone Edge!"
Massive boulders rained down from above, while jagged stones materialized all around Ursaluna.
Under Ursaluna's control, the stones launched like missiles, instantly shattering the Combee constructs before flying straight at Vespiquen.
"Double Team! Agility!"
Vespiquen blurred, splitting into fourteen illusory copies that weaved nimbly through the gaps between stones.
In moments, the battlefield swarmed with countless energy Combee, surrounding Ursaluna on all sides with their attacks.
Seeing Vespiquen attempt to drag the fight into a drawn-out war of attrition, Paul cut in sharply:
"Stone Edge! Then Sandstorm!"
"Ursaah!!"
With a furious roar, sand surged across the battlefield, coalescing into a massive sandstorm. White motes of energy flickered into being, hardening into sharp stones that slashed at everything caught in the gale.
In seconds, the sandstorm became a grinding deathtrap with Ursaluna at its center. Wherever the jagged stones flew, Vespiquen's energy drones exploded one after another, fading into nothingness.
Before long, only the real Vespiquen remained within the storm, shielded by her protective swarm. The drones not only blocked the wind and stones but, under Defend Order, boosted Vespiquen's defenses even further.
Still, her stamina continued to plummet rapidly. Yet each time her strength waned, she instantly recovered to full with Heal Order.
"Impressive. That's worthy of an ace."
Paul's eyes glinted with approval. Even he acknowledged this as Vespiquen's unique tactical style—her ultimate strategy.
Unfortunately, the power gap was simply too vast.
"It's time. Belly Drum! Bulk Up! Slack Off!"
"Ursaaah!!"
Ursaluna slammed its chest with all its might. A flash of white pain crossed its face, but in an instant, its Attack maxed out. Then, with a relaxed grunt, it lazily lay down and used Slack Off, restoring all the HP it had just sacrificed.
At that moment, Ursaluna's strength had risen to a level that even Cynthia's Garchomp at full power might struggle to withstand.
With its Attack maxed, Ursaluna unleashed an even stronger Stone Edge and sandstorm, the onslaught covering the entire battlefield—inescapable and unavoidable.
Vespiquen's strategy of attrition crumbled instantly. She had no choice but to face the monster head-on.
"This is bad…"
Aaron grimaced. Vespiquen was strong, but she lacked Haze and hadn't learned Taunt. She couldn't stop Ursaluna's setup, and Drapion had already fallen—no chance to continue its earlier Taunt.
Against such a relentless onslaught, Aaron could only order one thing:
"Protect!"
As the attack struck, a shimmering green barrier encased Vespiquen, blocking the barrage.
But the shield trembled under the sheer force. Within seconds, it began to buckle, threatening to shatter.
"Power Split! Then Hurricane!"
Within the barrier, Vespiquen flashed with white light, forcibly redistributing her boosted offenses and defenses.
Her swarm surged forward in suicidal strikes to absorb Ursaluna's first wave, and then she beat her wings, whipping up a violent Hurricane to scatter the storm.
The hurricane successfully blew away the sandstorm, but the jagged stones cut through unfazed, slicing directly into Vespiquen.
CRASH!
The stones struck home. Vespiquen's body crashed to the ground, fainting instantly.
But just as she fell, a dark purple aura surged from her body, lashing out toward Ursaluna.
Destiny Bond!
"Ursaaah?!"
'AGAIN?!'
Seeing the familiar glow, Ursaluna's fury dissipated. With a slow yawn, it flopped down, closed its eyes, and used Slack Off—choosing to rest as the aura struck.
Moments later, Ursaluna collapsed as well, knocked out by Vespiquen's final gambit.
Ursaluna: '…Eh, I'm used to it.'
"Vespiquen and Ursaluna are both unable to battle. Trainers, send out your next Pokémon!"
The soot-streaked referee raised his flag.
The stadium fell into stunned silence.
If Drapion's loss could be chalked up to weakness, what excuse could there be for Vespiquen?
Aaron had played every card perfectly—Defend Order, Heal Order, Power Split, and even Destiny Bond. Yet against Ursaluna's overwhelming force, it hadn't been enough. This was pure stat and level dominance.
And though the battle had ended in a double knockout… the truth was bitter. For an Elite Four member to drag down only one of Paul's Pokémon, and in such a desperate way, felt humiliating to the spectators.
But Aaron himself seemed oddly at peace.
You clowns don't understand. You've never fought Paul seriously before.
At this level, any other Elite Four member would be lucky to take out two of Paul's Pokémon.
In that moment, Aaron fully accepted his place.
"Come back, Vespiquen. You fought well—rest now."
Aaron entered a state of calm, almost like a sage. With serenity, he recalled his Vespiquen into its Poké Ball, then drew out his final one.
"Good work. Rest for now."
On the other side, Paul also recalled his Ursaluna, which had been sleeping comfortably. Without hesitation, he reached for his last Poké Ball, ready to face Aaron head-on.
"It's your turn—Scizor!"
"Metagross, prepare for battle!"
"Scizor, Mega Evolve!"
The moment the two Pokémon appeared, Scizor's body flared with the radiance of Aaron's Key Stone, triggering Mega Evolution.
Mega Scizor's pincers transformed into savage weapons, their jagged tips designed to tear anything caught between them to shreds. Three sharp spikes jutted from beneath its massive claws, while new armor-like plating covered its head and shoulders.
Mega Scizor looked less like an insect and more like a fully armed warrior.
"Agility! Bullet Punch!"
In an instant, both Pokémon vanished into streaks of white light. Their fists collided in midair.
They clashed again and again, until Bullet Punch began to lose ground. Metagross stopped trying to trade blows and instead maneuvered away with sharp precision.
"X-Scissor!"
Scizor split into afterimages, swarming Metagross from every direction. Before the Iron Leg Pokémon could react, the phantoms converged, launching a flurry of X-Scissors.
But Metagross did not flinch. Its four glowing eyes read every movement. As the attacks fell, it calmly raised Protect, blocking the slashes.
The moment its barrier was struck, Metagross' eyes flashed. It dispelled the shield and instantly fired a devastating Flash Cannon.
"Dodge it!"
Scizor tried to activate Quick Attack to evade, but a sudden surge of psychic power seized it, locking its body in place.
Even a momentary delay was enough, the Flash Cannon struck Scizor squarely.
Seizing the chance, Metagross lunged with Take Down, slamming toward the reeling Scizor.
Scizor attempted to spread its wings, but again, Psychic robbed it of the ability to move.
"Iron Defense!"
Forced into a corner, Scizor hardened its body just as Metagross came crashing down.
BOOM!
The impact shook the arena. Under Metagross' calculated grip, Scizor was pinned helplessly. Its arms were pinned by Metagross' forelegs, its legs trapped under its rear ones, while psychic force bound it completely. It was like prey caught beneath a predator's claws.
"Bug Buzz!"
Aaron frowned, then called the command.
Scizor's body was immobilized, but its mandibles still trembled as it let out a resonant cry.
"Ahhh—!"
Before the sound could even resonate, Metagross' Psychic silenced it, crushing the vibration mid-note.
The scene was chillingly reminiscent of how Hunter J once subdued her prey.
Metagross did not waste motion. Still pinning Scizor, it amplified its Psychic, the invisible force closing like a giant fist around the Bug Pokémon's body.
Scizor writhed in pain, its strength dwindling.
"Reversal!"
Aaron's voice rang out once more, betting everything on the counterattack's full power.
But…
"…!!"
Scizor managed only a token struggle before Metagross' psychic grip tightened further. The Mega glow shattered. Then Scizor collapsed, knocked out.
"Grrooo~"
Victorious, Metagross released its hold and reappeared by Paul's side, eyes glinting with mockery.
During the entire suppression, it had also been using Cosmic Power to boost itself. Its Special Attack had been stacking for ages. Against that, Reversal was nothing more than a desperate flutter.
"Scizor is unable to battle! Metagross wins! The match goes to Paul!" The referee declared, gazing across the ruined battlefield.
"I never thought Aaron would fall like this."
"He only took down one of Paul's Pokémon, and that was by Destiny Bond. Pathetic."
"Paul is insane! NB!"
"Woooooo!"
A ripple of mockery spread through the crowd, followed by cheers and thunderous applause for Paul's victory.
"Return, Scizor. Rest well."
Aaron recalled his fallen partner. With a wry shrug, he admitted:
"Sigh… Paul, you're really strong. Not even Cynthia pushed me this hard. Losing to you doesn't feel shameful."
Despite defeat, Aaron couldn't resist giving himself a little defense.
"Your Vespiquen's battle style was impressive." Paul replied earnestly. If he ever caught one, he would likely train it in the same direction.
"Thanks. Good luck in the rest of the tournament. Honestly, I doubt the other Elite Four members will stand a chance against you."
Aaron chuckled, hands behind his head as he left the stage with a relaxed smile.
Yes, he had lost. And badly. The first to fall.
But so what? He had felt Paul's power. The other Elites might make their records look better, but defeat Paul? Ha. Impossible.
"Well done. Return."
Amid the roaring cheers, Paul calmly recalled Metagross and strode from the arena without hesitation.
One win was nothing to gloat over. Until he became Champion, there was no room for arrogance.
As he stepped outside, Paul pulled out his phone. Two windows were on the screen: one showing the match broadcast, and the other one showing Akari sitting with a group of Pokémon, watching.
"Congratulations on your first victory!" Akari's cheerful voice chimed the moment Paul unmuted.
"Not yet. I can't afford to relax until I reach my true goal." Paul's tone was serious.
"You sound like you're hinting at something. Don't worry, I'll keep training. I'll defeat Arceus one day."
Akari rolled his eyes, teasing: "Seriously, you want me to beat Arceus even more than I do?"
"I want to see the real 'god' with my own eyes." Paul spoke bluntly.
"Then I'll do my best. You too, stay sharp. You've still got another match this afternoon…"
"…."
With that, they ended the call. Akari returned to training his Pokémon, while Paul closed his eyes, centering himself for the battles to come.
(To be continued...)
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