🎄 Christmas Special Discount 🎄
From December 23 to December 25, there will be a public 50% discount on the following tiers:
Intermediate Trainers, Advanced Trainers, Elite Trainers, Elite Four Trainers, Champion Trainers, and Legendary Trainers.
🎆 New Year Discount 🎆
There will also be a 50% discount, but it won't be public. On December 31, the discount code will be published inside the chapters, so stay tuned 👀✨
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"Ethan, you really surprise me."
"You even sent out a Pokémon no one has ever seen before?"
Claire Dawson stared seriously at the Meltan that had appeared on the battlefield. Her goal in sending out Skarmory was to counter Sandslash or Cacturne, but now Ethan Black had brought out a Pokémon she had never seen, and her heart sank.
"No matter what kind of Pokémon it is—Skarmory, use Air Cutter!"
Wasting no time, Claire Dawson gave the order as soon as the battle began. Immediately, Skarmory flapped its wings and released several blades of wind that shot toward Meltan at high speed.
"Harden, block the attack!"
Facing the air blades, Ethan Black didn't order a dodge, but told Meltan to use Harden. Its mercury-like liquid body instantly became solid steel.
Clang!
Clang!
The blades struck directly against Meltan's body, producing a metallic sound, but failing to pierce through. Meltan had endured the attack head-on.
"Well done, Meltan—now, fly!"
After blocking with ease, Ethan Black gave the next command.
"Zzzt zzzt zzzt!"
Meltan raised its nut-shaped head, fixed its gaze on Skarmory, and, astonishingly, began to float upward into the sky.
"Magnet Rise?" Claire Dawson frowned, immediately ordering Skarmory to climb higher.
"That guy..."
The students watching from the sidelines let out mocking chuckles.
Was he seeking his own downfall?
Skarmory was a master of flight, and now Ethan Black was trying to make a Pokémon clearly not built for flying take to the skies... Wasn't that like waving a knife at someone holding a gun?
But the mockery froze on their faces when they saw that, no matter how Skarmory flew, Meltan neither lagged behind nor lost it.
"Surprised?" Ethan Black smiled mysteriously at Claire Dawson's expression.
Magnet Rise?
They were all wrong.
What it was using was the ability Magnet Pull.
Since Skarmory was a Steel type, escaping was impossible!
The aerial chase continued. After a while, Skarmory began to slow down, and Meltan took the chance to stick to it with its magnetic force.
"He caught it!"
The crowd cried out in disbelief: how could a Flying-type Pokémon lose to a simple "nut"?
Claire Dawson was stunned as well.
"That control over Magnet Rise...?"
"Meltan, Thunderbolt!" Ethan Black ordered with a smile.
Skarmory, trapped by Magnet Pull, had no escape.
"No, Skarmory, shake it off!" Claire Dawson shouted desperately.
But it was useless.
Unless Skarmory ripped off its entire steel armor, there was no way to break free.
Bzzzt!
Meltan's body crackled with electricity, which spread across all of Skarmory's metal body.
BOOM!
A blinding flash lit up the sky, followed by a great explosion.
Skarmory's silhouette plummeted and crashed into the ground, completely out of the fight.
Even on the ground, Meltan was still sparking as if it had infinite energy.
"Well done, Meltan, return," Ethan Black said calmly.
Meltan withdrew its electricity, detached from Skarmory, and happily returned to its trainer, receiving a bottle of metallic liquid to drink with delight.
"I... lost?" Claire Dawson looked at her unconscious Pokémon, unable to believe it.
The field was left in an eerie silence. Ethan Black had effortlessly defeated the school's third-ranked student.
Sandslash, Cacturne, Meltan...
After seeing the power of Sandslash and Meltan, not only the regular students but even the university team members swallowed nervously.
The arrogance they had held toward Ethan Black, for being of humble origin, vanished completely.
Before, they thought Ethan Black had invested all his resources into just two Pokémon. Now they understood that even beyond those, he had hidden cards just as powerful.
This made many view him with fear, no longer daring to underestimate him.
Even the professors were astonished.
"Impossible! Such a use of Magnet Rise...?"
"And why can't I detect any electrical energy?" they murmured among themselves.
Even the head coach of the team, Professor Leonard Langford, looked surprised.
Ethan Black, on the other hand, thought: Let them keep believing it's Magnet Rise... that way, Meltan's Magnet Pull ability will be a card of intimidation. Maybe no one will dare use Flying-types against me after this.
Then he reflected: But... could Meltan actually learn Magnet Rise? It has a metal body, powerful magnetism, and a huge electrical reserve. If it uses its electricity to generate magnetism... maybe...
The thought lingered in his mind.
(End of Chapter)