Bang! Boom!
A massive explosion erupted on the field, sending gravel flying everywhere. Dust filled the air, obscuring everyone's vision.
After using Cross Slash, the Substitute Scizor's expression relaxed. Its body began to fracture, dissolving into fragments that slowly vanished. Meanwhile, the original Scizor, which had vibrated its wings to escape, was knocked to the ground by the aftershocks of the wind blade.
As the dust settled, a giant crater appeared on the field—yet another crater formed by a cross-shaped wind blade. Exeggutor had finally managed to get up, only to end up lying back down again. It looked incredibly frustrated, all three of its heads wearing expressions of indignant rage.
Scizor breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Exeggutor lose its ability to battle. It took a look at itself; although there were no visible wounds on its body, its head was buzzing and dizzy. The pain was sharp and needle-like, becoming almost unbearable.
"Exeggutor is unable to battle. Scizor wins!"
Seeing Exeggutor fall, Shida's brow furrowed. Lost just like that? This "hooligan" fighting style made him very unhappy. He pulled a third Poké Ball from his waist and threw it.
"Go, big darling!"
In a flash of white light, a massive figure appeared on the field.
Thump!
It stepped heavily onto the ground, causing the earth to tremble slightly. This was a bipedal, turtle-like Pokémon with a deep blue body and short, sturdy limbs. Its brown shell featured two water cannons protruding from the front.
His Eye of the Bug Emperor swept over it.
Blastoise, the Shellfish Pokémon.
Types: Water
Abilities: Torrent (Standard), Rain Dish (Hidden)
Talent Grade: Outstanding
Trainer Rank: Early-stage Elite Four (Level 61)
Good grief, he sent out his ace directly.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Shida has sent out his ace Pokémon, Blastoise!" the commentator shouted. "How will Eichi counter?"
Eichi's expression shifted slightly. This opponent wasn't at the Gym Leader level anymore—this was an Elite Four-level Pokémon. Although he had seen Elite Four-level Pokémon before, he had never battled one. This was his first time facing such a powerhouse.
He looked up and scrutinized the Blastoise. The aura of an Elite Four-level Pokémon was indeed extraordinary. Eichi could feel Blastoise releasing its pressure to suppress Scizor. Feeling the weight of the intimidation, Scizor looked up to see Blastoise's eyes filled with disdain and contempt. Combined with its expression, the turtle looked incredibly punchable.
"The match continues!" the referee announced.
"Kid, I was going to give you a chance, but it's better to settle this quickly," Shida said with a confident smile. "Blastoise, Hydro Pump!"
"Scizor, Agility!"
Both gave commands simultaneously, but the moment Eichi spoke, Scizor was already moving. It vibrated its wings and dashed out instantly. Blastoise was a split second slower, but it didn't panic at all. It aimed the two water cannons on its shoulders at the moving Scizor.
Two massive pillars of water erupted. They were incredibly fast and exceptionally accurate. Despite Scizor's speed, it was still a step behind compared to Blastoise's Hydro Pump. While mid-dash, a massive force slammed into Scizor, throwing it against the ground.
So fast!!
Eichi's eyes narrowed.
Smashing into the ground caused Scizor agonizing pain. It tried to crawl out of the deep pit, but as it struggled to rise, its strength failed. Its vision blurred and then went dark as it lost consciousness.
In the eyes of the audience, Scizor was hit by the Hydro Pump, smashed into the ground, struggled to get up, and then collapsed. It was too strong—a one-hit knockout.
Eichi remained silent. On the electronic screen, Scizor's portrait dimmed instantly.
"Audience, did you see that? Eichi's Scizor was defeated in one hit by Shida's Hydro Pump!" the commentator yelled. "The situation is now extremely unfavorable for Eichi!"
"Eichi only has two Pokémon left, while Shida still has four. Most importantly, his ace Blastoise is still there! How will Eichi fight back?"
In the stands, Mumu and the others were starting to feel despair. Facing Gym Leader-level opponents was one thing, but an Elite Four level was asking too much of Eichi. There really seemed to be no hope left. On the other side, the middle-aged man saw Blastoise and smiled. "Looks like this Eichi is going to lose. This Blastoise alone is enough to cause despair, let alone the fact that Shida has four Pokémon left."
The giant electronic screens outside the Indigo Stadium showed Scizor lying defeated. Below, tourists and other onlookers shook their heads, feeling that Eichi was bound to lose. However, they kept their eyes glued to the screens, secretly hoping Eichi could pull off a miracle.
At the Pokémon Center, many people crowded around the TV watching Eichi. Some women were even silently cheering for him. In various other places, groups of people—Eichi's friends and family—sat before their televisions, rooting for him.
Eichi let out a long breath and threw his fifth Poké Ball.
"It's your turn, Beedrill!"
White light flashed, and Beedrill made its debut. At first glance, it looked very ordinary. Aside from being a size larger than other Beedrill, there was nothing particularly noteworthy about it.
Seeing Beedrill, neither the audience nor Eichi's opponent could quite believe it.
"It's actually a Beedrill!!"
Shida's expression shifted from confidence to bewilderment, then finally to disdain. "To use a trash Pokémon like Beedrill..."
The audience was also confused. They had expected some other powerful Pokémon, not a common species like Beedrill.
"Why is it a Beedrill?!!"
"It seems Scizor was his true ace."
Whispers broke out among the spectators, most believing Eichi was completely finished.
Lorelei, however, suddenly showed a bit of interest. An Elite Four's vision was beyond that of ordinary people. She noticed that this Beedrill was exceptionally well-trained—impossibly well-trained, in fact. One look told her that an immense amount of resources had been poured into it. She rarely saw anyone willing to pay such a high price to cultivate a Beedrill.
"Why a Beedrill?" the middle-aged man muttered, feeling depressed.
"Ladies and gentlemen, you aren't seeing things. Eichi's fifth Pokémon is indeed... Beedrill." Even the commentator found it strange and paused for a second.
At this moment, Shida did something unexpected. He recalled Blastoise and swapped it for a different Poké Ball.
"If I knew it was a Beedrill, I wouldn't have used Blastoise," Shida said dismissively.
"It seems Shida has great confidence in his strength, as he has swapped Pokémon for Fearow!"
His Eye of the Bug Emperor swept over it.
Fearow, the Beak Pokémon.
Types: Normal / Flying
Abilities: Keen Eye (Standard), Sniper (Hidden)
Talent Grade: Outstanding
Trainer Rank: Late-stage Gym Leader (Level 58)
The corners of Eichi's mouth curled up slightly. You think the match is over?
No, the match has only just begun.