Chapter 254: Arcanine, Tear His Armor to Shreds!
The psychic restraint was broken once again, causing the Armored Pokémon to stumble back half a step from exhaustion. Above, Giovanni, observing the battle, wore an expression of disbelief.
It actually broke free?!
Wait.
Giovanni's brow suddenly furrowed. Did he say 'second best'?
Then what is he best at?
Before Giovanni could even ask, the cool-looking Arcanine in front of him kicked off the ground and leaped forward. In the next instant, its form vanished from the arena like a gentle breeze.
*Whoosh*
On the arena floor, only an extremely blurry, red-and-black afterimage could be seen. Accompanied by the wild dance of its surrounding brownish-yellow mane, it was as if a ghostly, ravenous beast haunted the battlefield, its tracks impossible to follow.
The terrifying pressure it exuded was even more chilling than the all-encompassing psychic power from before.
The Armored Pokémon didn't dare be careless. It quickly raised both arms, materializing a blue barrier of light around its body in an attempt to defend itself.
"Hm? You want to fight me while still wearing that power limiter?"
Green's eyebrow twitched. He subconsciously covered one eye with his hand and leaned back slightly as his body began to tremble uncontrollably. Then, he let out a series of cold sneers, a crazed look spreading across his face.
"Arcanine, tear its armor to shreds!"
*Clang!*
The moment his voice fell, something that looked like a mechanical part clattered to the ground in a corner of the arena.
*Bzzzt...*
Only after the piece of machinery had settled completely did a shocking, bestial claw mark suddenly appear on the blue psychic barrier in front of the Armored Pokémon. It had been torn wide open. The armor around its chest was completely shredded into fragments, sparking with residual electricity.
Yet, Arcanine's figure was never seen from start to finish; its afterimage merely flickered from place to place.
Green just watched the Humanoid Pokémon before him with a hint of contempt.
"If you don't use your full strength, you won't last three rounds against me."
He was going to tear off every piece of its restrictive armor.
"Extreme Speed?"
Giovanni quickly recognized the move Arcanine was using. Within the teleporting afterimage, he faintly saw a pale green light—the telltale sign of Extreme Speed.
But the speed of this Extreme Speed... it was just too fast.
Besides, Pokémon that can use Extreme Speed are usually small or have a balanced build. For a massive figure like Arcanine to use the move, the sense of pressure was just too intense!
After a moment of bewilderment, the Armored Pokémon once again raised its arms to defend, focusing its mind to unleash its psychic power in an attempt to block the attack.
*Rip!*
However, the green light was always a step faster than its psychic power. It effortlessly penetrated the barrier as if it were intangible. With a flash of light, it tore the armor on the back of the creature's hands into wires and parts.
*Rip!*
*Rip!*
The green light circled it in a 360-degree assault. The Armored Pokémon frantically gathered a blue barrier to defend itself, but it was fighting a losing battle. It was always a little too slow, and the green light continued to shred the armor from its body.
Every time the green light approached, a lion-headed shadow with a wildly dancing mane would be revealed for an instant. The ferocious eyes within the afterimage, which looked as if they would devour it, brought the creature immense pressure.
Within a few breaths, the armor attached to its arms, back, thighs, and ankles had all been shattered to pieces on the ground. The only mechanical part left was the steel helmet on its head.
...
Its mind fell into utter disarray. This Armored Pokémon, much like Gary, had had too smooth of a journey. It had never experienced failure; no matter the opponent, every battle was a complete steamroll.
Impossible!!
The Armored Pokémon's composure was beginning to crack. Inside its helmet, several veins bulged on its forehead from suppressed rage.
Another whistling green light shot forward, accompanied by the imposing, gusting lion-headed afterimage, ready to seize and devour!
"Block it!!"
This was the only thought in its mind. It raised its arms again, its mental energy highly concentrated, focusing all of its strength in front of it to form an unbreakable psychic barrier.
*Tap.*
This time, it finally matched Arcanine's speed. The green light landed on the psychic barrier, its movement pausing for a moment, and Arcanine's red-and-yellow form was exposed to the air.
"AWOOOO!!"
However, a thunderous roar exploded by its ears once more. The green light that had just been halted erupted again. Arcanine's muscles twitched, and in an instant, it pounced. This time, it didn't just penetrate the psychic barrier; it directly tore the nearly unbreakable shield to shreds, as easily as ripping a piece of thin paper.
*Swish swish swish!!*
The green light and the lion shadow rushed toward it. For the first time, a look of fear appeared in the Armored Pokémon's heart. It stumbled backward repeatedly, subconsciously raising its arms to shield itself.
*Whoosh.*
The green light flashed past. Arcanine's figure finally appeared fully on the arena, revealing its cool back, its mane dancing wildly.
On the other side, the Armored Pokémon was still holding its hands over its head. Only after realizing the attack was over did it lower its arms. Now, the only piece of armor left on its body was the helmet; the armor on all other parts had been completely torn to shreds.
*Crack.*
The sound of sharp claws scraping across metal.
Three bestial claw marks suddenly appeared out of nowhere on the iron helmet. Then, the entire helmet shattered into countless fragments and fell away. The mysterious Pokémon's head was finally revealed, exposing a dumbfounded face to the air.
Its facial features were somewhat like those of a human infant, with milky-white skin and a pair of protruding horns on its head.
It had a humanoid body, but its upper arms and waist were somewhat slender. Its purple abdomen connected to a large tail behind it, and below were a pair of milky-white thighs and hind legs.
The armor was completely shattered!
"Impossible..." Giovanni cried out in disbelief.
Green, however, smiled as if he had expected this. At this moment, his Arcanine could use God-Speed while still smoothly applying its explosive power; its strength had reached a state of absolute perfection.
This was a level of power that the opponent might not be able to contend with even if its limiters were completely removed, let alone while still being restricted by the machinery.
"Hmph, I'm about to step into that Realm. This time, I am stronger than you, Red!"
Green clenched his fist, feeling secretly pleased with himself.
Looking at the Humanoid Pokémon before him, which was still dazed and even beginning to question its own existence, Green's lips curved into a faint smile as he casually revealed its name.
"The man-made Genetic Pokémon, Mewtwo."
"How do you know its name!?"
Up above, Giovanni slammed his hand on the railing, his face a mask of disbelief. He looked at Green's still-immature face, but those eyes seemed to have already experienced countless trials, causing a sliver of fear to finally rise in his heart.
He actually tore the armor off the invincible Mewtwo!?
Why does he know Mewtwo's name!?
"Just who are you!!"
Giovanni's expression had changed completely. He no longer saw Green as a rookie Trainer, but regarded him as some unknown, terrifying existence.
"Tsk, to think you've fallen so low as to rely on external power to act mighty. You're a disgrace to the title of Viridian Gym's Gym Leader, Giovanni."
Green just taunted him without any reservation.
(end of chapter)