The huge, sharp stone radiated a faint earth-yellow glow as it smashed toward Buzzwole.
"Buzzwole, use Dynamic Punch. Shatter it."
The Mystery Contestant gave the command calmly.
"Buzzzwole!"
Buzzwole roared. Red light instantly lit up around its powerful right fist, wrapping around that enormous fist as it slammed hard into the incoming stone.
Its punch collided with the massive rock in a thunderous crash.
Buzzwole's Dynamic Punch smashed the sharp stone into countless fragments. Broken rock scattered in every direction, and dust rolled through the air.
The massive stone had been shattered by a single punch, reduced to bits of rock and powder.
"Buzzwole, now. Follow up with another Dynamic Punch from your left fist!"
The hooded trainer's hoarse voice rang out again, giving Buzzwole another order.
"Buzzzwole!"
Amid the swirling dust and shattered stone, Buzzwole relied on its astonishing compound eyes to lock onto Conkeldurr's position.
It let out a fierce roar. Red energy lit up around its left fist, wrapping tightly over it.
Its second Dynamic Punch tore through the thick dust and rubble, blasting out once more.
Boom!
"Conk…"
Conkeldurr let out a pained cry. It had no idea Buzzwole could still pinpoint its position through such dense smoke and dust.
It had no time to dodge and was struck directly by the attack.
The punch detonated against Conkeldurr with overwhelming force and sent it flying.
It flew several meters before crashing heavily onto the cold floor of the battlefield.
"Conkeldurr!"
Fane's expression changed. He shouted anxiously toward his Pokémon.
He had not expected his opponent to use the dust and shattered stone as cover for a follow-up attack, catching him completely off guard.
He had to admit it.
That was his miscalculation.
"Conk…"
Conkeldurr furrowed its brow and forced down the pain coursing through its body, quickly rising from the ground.
It knew this opponent was extremely powerful.
It had to stay focused at all times.
Otherwise, if Buzzwole kept chaining attacks together, it would have no chance of winning.
"Buzzwole, keep going. Dynamic Punch, both fists!"
Sure enough, the Mystery Contestant's voice rang out again.
He had no intention of letting Conkeldurr recover. He wanted to press the advantage and continue his assault.
And this time, it was Split Focus.
He had Buzzwole use Dynamic Punch with both fists at the same time.
Split Focus.
Among Pokémon, this was an extremely advanced technique.
First, a Pokémon needed enough talent. Then, after a great deal of training, it could finally learn to split its attention and execute two actions at once.
Using two moves at the same time was a high-level battle skill.
Take Aaron, for example. He had tried training it too.
At present, only Beedrill could barely begin using Split Focus.
Perhaps it was because Beedrill often used Twinneedle, making its two arm stingers relatively flexible and allowing it to attempt two moves at once.
But even then, its failure rate was still very high.
…
Back on the battlefield.
A red glow lit up around both of Buzzwole's thick arms at the same time.
Its fists flashed with astonishing white light, releasing enough pressure to make it seem as if it could smash the ground apart.
When Fane saw this unknown Pokémon use two moves at once, his pupils shrank.
Cold sweat slid down his forehead, and shock flashed through his eyes.
"It really is Split Focus!"
"My Conkeldurr has trained for five years and still hasn't mastered this technique… I never thought this Pokémon would already be able to use it."
Fane was deeply shaken, but this was no time to stand there in shock.
Buzzwole's fierce attack was already coming.
Fane forced down the turmoil in his chest and shouted to Conkeldurr.
"Conkeldurr, use Protect!"
"Conk…"
A flash of surprise also crossed Conkeldurr's eyes.
A technique it had spent years struggling to master had now appeared right in front of it.
Worse, it was being used to beat it down.
That struck directly at Conkeldurr's pride.
Conkeldurr let out a frustrated roar.
It spread its hands, and transparent white energy instantly lit up between them.
A circular barrier rose around Conkeldurr, firmly covering its body.
At that moment, one of Buzzwole's Dynamic Punches arrived.
It slammed heavily into the Protect barrier.
Crack.
This time, the shield once again sounded like shattering glass. Countless visible cracks spread across its surface.
It was a shocking sight, as if the barrier would burst apart in the very next second.
But it was not over yet.
Buzzwole's other fist had already arrived. Carrying enough force to sweep away anything in its path, the second Dynamic Punch smashed viciously into the already cracked barrier.
Crack, crack, crack!
This time, there was no suspense.
Buzzwole's second Dynamic Punch shattered the shield outright.
The barrier broke into countless fragments, scattering through the air before dissolving into particles of energy.
But the punch still had force behind it.
It smashed straight into the stunned Conkeldurr.
Boom!
"Conk!"
Conkeldurr cried out in pain.
Its body was once again blasted away by Buzzwole's punch.
It skidded across the battlefield, carving a deep mark into the floor before finally crashing hard into the ground.
The floor shattered beneath it, forming a deep crater.
Conkeldurr lay injured in the pit, gasping heavily as pain wracked its body.
A flash of fear crossed its eyes.
…
"T-This… this is unbelievable!"
"The Mystery Contestant's Pokémon actually used two moves at the same time!"
"Could this be the legendary advanced battle technique, Split Focus?"
"I've been hosting matches for years, but this is the first time I've ever seen a Pokémon use Split Focus!"
"This is unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable!"
At the host's podium, Kenny stared at Buzzwole's double Dynamic Punch in shock, practically crowing into the microphone.
"Contestant Fane's Conkeldurr has been struck by another Dynamic Punch and is badly injured! At this point, the outcome is basically decided!"
"The Mystery Contestant's Pokémon is simply too strong. Too terrifying!"
…