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The Stadium suddenly fell silent, as though someone had hit the mute button.
The cheers and chatter of thousands vanished, replaced only by the howling winds surging across the battlefield in the aftermath of the energy blast.
The quiet didn't last long.
In the very next instant, the stadium erupted in a thunderous roar cheers louder than anything heard since the tournament began.
Whistles pierced the air, applause thundered without pause, and shouts of excitement rose like a tidal wave.
The arena had turned into a boiling cauldron of passion, overflowing with raw energy.
Everyone loves an underdog story especially at a tournament of this scale.
No one expected that a seemingly frail little Flaaffy could unleash such overwhelming electricity in an instant, a surge so powerful it nearly shattered the arena floor.
That impossible contrast ignited the crowd like a spark tossed into gunpowder, exploding into uncontainable excitement.
A nervous gulp echoed through the stadium broadcast.
Inside the commentators' booth, Audrey sat wide-eyed, her bright red lips parted in shock.
For a professional commentator like her, being lost for words was nearly unheard of in her entire career.
"Th-that was… a one-hit knockout!"
She finally recovered, her instincts kicking in as she realized this moment would go down as the highlight of the Championship.
"Lanny's Flaaffy just unleashed a devastating move taking down Zilin's Toxapex in a single strike!"
Professor Ashford, sitting beside her, kept his expression calm, but the faint twitch of his eyelids betrayed his true feelings.
He had already suspected this Flaaffy wasn't ordinary, but not even he expected it to dominate like this.
Leaning forward in his chair, he studied the Pokémon even more intently.
High above, in the VIP suite, Zilin's father, Poison-type Elite Four member Nock, was no longer lounging casually.
He set down his wine glass, the confident smirk on his face vanishing into a hardened frown.
"That kind of power…" he muttered under his breath.
Even with all his faith in his daughter, he couldn't help but feel doubt creeping in.
Could she really win against this opponent?
If someone had told him ten minutes ago that his daughter might be eliminated by a Flaaffy, he would have laughed it off.
But now… he wasn't so sure.
He could only hope that after such a massive burst of power, Flaaffy no longer had the strength to continue.
But watching it bounce energetically across the battlefield, he realized that was nothing more than wishful thinking.
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In the lower stands, Nolan had already slipped away from his seat, now gripping the front railing closest to the field.
His hands trembled as he leaned forward, eyes hidden by his sunglasses but blazing with excitement.
"Toxapex!" Zilin shouted as she rushed onto the battlefield, ignoring the searing heat that still lingered in the air.
She quickly recalled her badly injured partner, her hands shaking as she passed the Poké Ball to the waiting medical team.
Her deep violet eyes still reflected the shock of what had just happened.
For a moment, her composure cracked, leaving her looking stunned and uncertain.
Across the field, Lanny forced a stiff smile, his expression betraying how rattled he truly was.
As an undercover agent, he knew full well how powerful this Flaaffy had become, but even he hadn't expected this.
The instant the move went off, he nearly gasped aloud only barely stopping himself to maintain cover.
Now, feeling Zilin's sharp glare on him, his muscles tightened and his smile faltered.
Her long black hair whipped around her face in the swirling wind, strands sticking to her flushed cheeks as she steadied her breathing.
No… I can't lose here.
Clutching her final Poké Ball, her knuckles whitening, she whispered fiercely:
"I am the daughter of Nock, the Poison-type Elite Four, and heir to the Tuston Gym. I will not fall in this match!"
With all her strength, she hurled the Poké Ball onto the field.
It cracked open with a sharp flash.
At last, Zilin's ace appeared as her final trump card.
A tall, purple-black lizard emerged, its long crimson eyes angled sharply at the sides of its head, giving it a dangerous allure.
Its forked tongue flicked between fangs dripping with venom, the black saliva sizzling against the arena floor.
Smoke-like fumes curled from its nostrils with every breath, seeping into the charged atmosphere of the battlefield.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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