Join my p@treon for more chapters
[email protected]/Tempest_29
"What incredible speed... Is that the Speed Boost ability?" Sidney wondered aloud.
Such terrifying velocity could only be achieved by combining Quick Attack with the boost from the Speed Boost ability.
Mandibuzz's defeat wasn't entirely unexpected.
But losing didn't mean Sidney was ready to give up just yet.
Sidney retrieved his Poke Ball, recalled Mandibuzz, and sent out his next Pokemon.
Sidney's third Pokemon was Crawdaunt.
Since he only had one Dark and Flying-type Pokemon Mandibuzz, if he wanted to counter Blaziken effectively, he would need to target its other type weakness.
Water and Dark typing could potentially serve as a solution.
What's more, this wasn't just any ordinary crayfish missing its claws!
The Crawdaunt that emerged stood over five meters tall on the battlefield, towering like a mountain or a steel robot clad in red armor!
There was only one explanation for a Crawdaunt of such extraordinary size.
A Totem Pokemon!
"A Totem Crawdaunt?" Chris noted its special status as well.
Level 87.
That meant Sidney's ace Pokemon could very well be Level 90!
However, it made no difference. Without meaning to boast, Chris knew that among Pokemon of the same level—unless they were legendary Pokemon—none could rival the Pokemon he had personally trained and raised!
Even Totem Pokemon fell short of that standard!
"Crawdaunt, use Surf!" Sidney commanded.
The Totem Crawdaunt swung both massive claws downward, striking the ground and immediately generating towering blue waves over ten meters high.
Looking at the massive wall of water, Chris clicked his tongue. "Trying to use Surf to counter my Spiral Aura Sphere?"
Facing such enormous waves, Aura Sphere would indeed be difficult to execute effectively.
Even if the Spiral Aura Sphere could penetrate the Surf attack, it would inevitably be intercepted by Crawdaunt's follow-up moves. Meanwhile, those massive waves would cover the entire battlefield, forcing Blaziken to endure the full impact.
In that case...
"Bounce!" Chris commanded suddenly.
Blaziken bent its legs slightly, then immediately launched itself high into the air—more than twenty meters up—easily clearing the height of the incoming waves.
According to the Pokedex, Blaziken's description states: "With powerful legs and back, it can easily leap over a thirty-story building."
While there might be some exaggeration in that description, and ordinary Blaziken couldn't actually clear a thirty-story building in a single bound, Chris's Blaziken could genuinely accomplish such a feat with ease.
If it could leap over a thirty-story building, what challenge could waves less than ten meters high possibly pose?
Sidney's eyes suddenly lit up—he had been waiting for exactly this opportunity.
With Blaziken suspended in mid-air with nowhere to take cover, let's see how it could dodge this!
Almost immediately after hearing Chris's command, Sidney's counter-order burst forth!
"Hydro Pump!"
Crawdaunt, which had been waiting for precisely this moment, immediately raised both massive claws like twin cannon barrels, locking onto Blaziken above the towering waves. A subtle blue gleam appeared as violent energy prepared to explode!
Facing this incoming "killing blow," Chris remained completely calm in his response.
"Spiral Aura Sphere!"
A blue vortex materialized in front of the airborne Blaziken as the Spiral Aura Sphere began condensing.
At the same moment Crawdaunt locked onto Blaziken, Blaziken was simultaneously targeting it in return.
Two equally sharp sounds merged into one explosive "BANG!"
From Crawdaunt's claw-cannons erupted a dark blue torrent of compressed water, as thick and powerful as artillery fire!
Blaziken launched its Spiral Aura Sphere in a devastating volley!
This was the true cannonball.
"BOOM!" The collision created an immediate thunderous explosion.
The Spiral Aura Sphere crashed into the Hydro Pump, Aura power clashing against the water flow, instantly generating massive clouds of steam.
"CRASH! CRASH!"
But this was followed by two distinct impact sounds.
As the steam cleared, everyone could see the five-meter-tall Totem Crawdaunt embedded in the wall behind Sidney, with a huge circular depression and cracks spreading across its chest.
The result was crystal clear, and the sequence of events could be easily reconstructed.
Crawdaunt's Hydro Pump had been pierced straight through by Blaziken's Spiral Aura Sphere, which then struck its body and sent it flying into the wall.
"Crawdaunt is unable to battle! Blaziken wins!" the referee announced.
"How can there be such a massive gap in power?" Sidney's brow furrowed so deeply it resembled the character for "river."
Forcibly breaking through an opponent's attack and achieving a one-hit knockout could only happen when there was an enormous difference in strength between the two Pokemon.
Could it be... that the gap between himself and Chris was really that significant?
Sidney looked at Chris with deep uncertainty in his eyes.
Taking out his Poke Ball to recall Crawdaunt, Sidney paused for a moment before choosing the Pokemon he had been saving for last.
"Partner, I can only count on you now!"
A Poke Ball opened, revealing a canine Pokemon with a snow-white body, gray-blue face, and long horns resembling a curved blade.
It was Absol!
Absol, an extremely rare Pokemon, is known as the "Disaster Pokemon." Whether in the anime world or Chris's current reality, for a long time it had been considered the "incarnation of misfortune"—a harbinger of disaster.
People believed that Absol itself brought calamity.
But with modern advances and the dedicated research of Pokemon scientists, they discovered that Absol doesn't actually carry disasters. Instead, they're born with the natural ability to sense impending catastrophes, and they possess a strong sense of justice and moral responsibility.
When they sense disaster approaching, they voluntarily emerge from deep mountains and ancient forests to warn both Pokemon and people.
Therefore, in recent years, Absol has transformed from a Pokemon that "everyone feared and attacked" into an "auspicious guardian," specifically valued for disaster prediction.
"I should catch some Absol and add them to my breeding facility," Chris mused, remembering that the Hoenn Region had known Absol habitats.
Sidney revealed his Mega Ring.
"Absol, Mega Evolution!"
Colorful light enveloped the Pokemon, and when the radiance faded, Mega Absol had sprouted a pair of white wings. Its white fur had grown thicker and more lustrous, while its gray-blue blade-like horn had become broader and more imposing.
"The Hoenn Region Elite Four have Mega Evolution stones too?" Chris raised an eyebrow slightly. He had chosen to challenge the Hoenn Region first not only because it was his "starting region," but also because he'd considered external factors.
Originally, he had thought that facing Hoenn's Elite Four would give him an advantage in "technological superiority" with Mega Evolution, Z-Moves, and Dynamax.
Now it seemed he had been overly optimistic.
If Sidney could use Mega Evolution, then he might also have access to Z-Moves and Dynamax.
"As a sign of respect, I'll respond in kind." Chris also revealed his Mega Evolution stone.
"Blaziken, Mega Evolution!"