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"This doesn't count! My Walrein must have had an upset stomach this morning," Darolon protested loudly. "Besides, the referee hasn't even officially started the match yet!"
Chris didn't particularly care either way, but the referee robot appeared to have already reached its decision.
"Objection rejected."
"Once a Pokémon is selected by the Trainer and enters the battlefield, the Pokémon's initial condition is determined to be the Trainer's responsibility. The Trainer cannot claim regret due to reasons such as illness or consuming spoiled food."
"Furthermore, player Chris's Arcanine has activated its Intimidate Ability, and therefore the battle is deemed to have officially begun."
"Now, announcing the results of this round as per standard protocol."
"Walrein has lost the ability to battle. Arcanine wins. The number of available Pokémon remaining for player Darolon is one. Please send out your next Pokémon as soon as possible." The referee machine seemed to pursue an ideal of "absolute fairness and impartial judging."
Naturally, Darolon wasn't about to argue with a machine. Instead, he turned his attention toward Chris, silently demanding an explanation.
Christina spread her hands helplessly.
"The referee robot strictly adheres to official battle regulations. Unless there's a malfunction causing a referee error, even if you filed a complaint with the president of the headquarters, the result would remain exactly the same."
Although she couldn't quite figure out how Darolon's Walrein had been defeated the instant it appeared on the battlefield, the referee robot had made its announcement. All she could do was accept the official result.
"This is..." Darolon gritted his teeth but could only accept it reluctantly.
Looking back at the battlefield, Darolon studied both Chris and his Arcanine more carefully, his eyes beginning to focus with renewed intensity.
He only had one Pokémon left now. Just one more chance.
As long as one of his remaining Pokémon was strong enough, he could learn more about Chris's true capabilities.
With this thought in mind, Darolon took out another Poké Ball, recalled his Walrein, and threw his next choice onto the field.
The Poké Ball opened in mid-air, and as silvery light flashed brilliantly, a Garchomp appeared with commanding presence.
"Roar!!" Garchomp waved its sharp claws menacingly, looking fierce and determined, as if it intended to reclaim the dignity its teammate had lost.
You dare roar at me?
"Woof!!" Arcanine naturally wasn't about to back down.
Its Conqueror's Presence erupted once again!
Pressure as heavy as a mountain, as vast as the ocean, suddenly descended upon Garchomp's body with overwhelming force.
Garchomp froze immediately, its eyes widening involuntarily. It felt as though it were carrying an entire mountain on its back, unable to take even a single step forward.
However, Garchomp was obviously stronger than Walrein and wouldn't be knocked down directly by this pressure alone.
As an experienced Trainer, Darolon quickly noticed something was wrong.
He immediately revealed the pendant hanging from his chest, which contained a Key Stone embedded within it.
Colorful light burst forth, surrounding Garchomp in a radiant glow.
A bridge of connection was built between human and Pokémon, their hearts linking as one.
This time, it was Darolon's turn to feel like he was carrying a mountain on his shoulders.
Although Mega Evolution didn't share injuries with Pokémon the way bond evolution did, the essence of Mega Evolution was still founded on the bond between Trainer and Pokémon. Through it, he could feel his Pokémon's condition.
Darolon couldn't help but look up at Arcanine, his eyes filled with shock. He now understood exactly how Walrein had been defeated.
"Is this really just Arcanine's Intimidate Ability?!"
The overwhelming aura emanating from Arcanine's body made it difficult for him to even breathe properly.
On the other hand, after Garchomp evolved into Mega Garchomp, it could at least walk forward while bearing the weight of that domineering presence.
The referee robot confirmed that both sides were ready and announced immediately.
"The battle begins!"
"Arcanine, use Flare Blitz!" Chris opened with her ultimate move.
"Woof!" Following the command, Arcanine surged forward with fierce determination. The moment it took its first step, its entire body became wrapped in blazing flames. Faint electrical currents flickered across the surface of the fire, and its offensive power began skyrocketing!
Flare Blitz was a move that dealt recoil damage to the user whenever it successfully hit an opponent. Simply put, it traded damage for damage.
Facing a Garchomp that was already suppressed by the Conqueror's Presence, Chris could have actually chosen a more conservative battle strategy, but he wouldn't!
Arcanine fought with overwhelming momentum!
"Dragon Rush!" Darolon commanded, his voice noticeably weaker than before.
Mega Garchomp immediately lifted its legs and stomped on the ground, attempting to shake off the restraints binding its body.
Gritting its teeth, it charged forward, its entire body bathed in dark green draconic energy, like a heavy artillery shell fired straight ahead.
But after running only a few meters, Arcanine was already charging madly toward it.
"Boom!"
The two collided, and an explosion erupted immediately.
In battles of this caliber, explosions were inevitable when energy attacks clashed. It was just that... Garchomp's performance couldn't match up to Arcanine's power.
With just a single exchange, the dark green energy dissipated completely, and Mega Garchomp was blasted backward.
It carved a deep trench in the ground and crashed into the barrier at the battlefield's edge before finally stopping.
Fortunately, Mega Garchomp hadn't lost its ability to battle yet.
"Still standing after that?" Chris had thought he'd finish it in one move. It seemed that because Garchomp was a Dragon-type Pokémon with resistance to Fire-type attacks, it hadn't been taken out in a single hit.
But that didn't matter. If one move wasn't enough, then two moves would do the job.
"Arcanine, once more! Flare Blitz!"
"Woof!" Arcanine accelerated again and charged forward rapidly! Even faster than before.
This was because it had also incorporated Flame Charge into its running technique, which carried the effect of increasing Speed.
"Draco Meteor!" Darolon commanded loudly. By this point, he had completely abandoned any hope of winning. All he wanted now was not to lose too embarrassingly.
Mega Garchomp struggled to its feet and fired a dark green sphere of light toward the sky.
The sphere exploded in mid-air, and immediately, dozens of dark green meteors began raining down from above. It looked like a meteor shower had descended upon the battlefield.
Chris didn't issue any additional instructions because he trusted that Arcanine could handle it on its own.
Arcanine didn't disappoint Chris's faith in it. Despite its bulky body, it displayed unexpected agility. Even while executing an explosive impact move like Flare Blitz, it could still perfectly control its movements, dodging the Draco Meteor bombardment with ease and grace.
Finally, it struck Mega Garchomp squarely in the chest.
"Boom!" The barrier at the battlefield's boundary took another tremendous hit.
Whatever material this barrier was constructed from, it remained intact even after being struck hard twice in succession.
But when Arcanine happily turned around to seek praise from Chris, Mega Garchomp had already reverted from its Mega Evolution and collapsed helplessly on the ground.
The referee robot decisively announced the final result.
"Garchomp has lost the ability to battle. Arcanine wins. Trainer Darolon has no available Pokémon remaining. Therefore, the final victor is Chris!"