"Ohhhhh! So cool! Absolutely awesome!"
"Is that Incineroar? So strong! Amazing!"
"What insane power! That was over fifty meters, right? Half the field! The range is ridiculous!"
Cheers erupted from the stands. The spectators stared at the crimson figure standing motionless on the field, their eyes filled with excitement.
After watching both sides play cautiously for so long, this explosive scene was incredibly satisfying!
They eagerly awaited more from Incineroar.
On the field, white mist drifted.
Excadrill and Amoonguss lay sprawled in the snow, their faces twisted in pain—especially the former, which could barely get up.
Flickering flames licked at their bodies, wisps of smoke rising and dissipating into the air.
The burn status normally wasn't this severe, but after Incineroar's attack, it was as if something had triggered a surge in the flames.
The burning pain intensified sharply!
"What terrifying power! Was that Fling? Or Fire Punch!? And the flames on Excadrill—was that a burn status?"
The commentator shouted excitedly.
The image of Incineroar tanking High Horsepower, grabbing Excadrill, and launching it into Amoonguss—knocking both opponents down—was incredibly impactful.
That single move was a hundred times more shocking than most of the previous action!
Many were curious about what move Incineroar had just used.
Fire Punch?
Or something else?
The scene was so overwhelming and sudden that no one had time to catch the details.
But Incineroar wasn't about to give them time to think.
It glanced at Gardevoir, which had just put its little hands down after quietly clapping, and then charged toward its opponents!
Ssss!
The snow melted under the intense heat!
With every step Incineroar took, steam rose beneath its feet, surrounding it in a shroud of white mist!
At first glance, it looked like it was riding the clouds!
Its speed was incredibly fast!
If the opponents hadn't reacted in time and recalled Amoonguss, they might have lost both Pokémon.
Yes—they had already accepted that Excadrill was beyond saving. It was mentally and physically drained, burned, and its attack had been lowered. Magnet Rise had also worn off.
Excadrill had given it everything—it had tried so hard.
If the opponent had chosen to attack it directly instead of going for a two-for-one, Excadrill would have already fainted, right?
The fifty-meter throw looked devastating, but it also dissipated some of the power.
Even so, Excadrill was now in a state where standing up was a struggle.
The male trainer could only hope that, in its final moments, Excadrill could hold on just a little longer and deal some damage to Incineroar.
No matter how strong it was, Incineroar was still a Fire-type.
High Horsepower hitting it couldn't possibly have no effect!
To be honest, they had been severely outmatched from the start. Their Pokémon were constantly restricted—forced into direct brawls or switches—never able to seize control or find their own rhythm.
And in all their experience, they had never seen an Incineroar move that fast without Tailwind!
It was even faster than two months ago!
Tanky, hard-hitting, and fast—was this even an Incineroar!?
Their bewildered eyes watched as the figure that looked like Incineroar—and yet seemed unlike it—closed in!
Its crimson body radiated scorching steam, a terrifying sight!
Both trainers tensed up.
"High Horsepower!"
Win or lose, this move would decide it all!
The male trainer's voice was filled with resolve!
"Excadrill!"
Excadrill staggered to its feet, sensing the solemn tone of its trainer. It understood—its final moment had come.
So be it.
Before going down, it would make one last contribution to its teammates!
"EXCADRILL!"
It let out a fierce cry. Yellowish energy swirled around the spike on its head, then enveloped its entire body!
"Aromatherapy!"
A faint, pleasant fragrance suddenly filled the air.
Excadrill, which had been suffering from the burn, sniffed and instantly felt refreshed!
The burn was gone!
Its spirits lifted, strength surging back into its body!
With a roar, it dug its claws into the ground and charged forward with unstoppable momentum, sending snow flying behind it!
Everything—everything—was poured into this one move!
Come on!
Shrouded in a yellowish vortex, Excadrill crashed headlong into Incineroar!
The wind howled!
Gasps came from the stands. Even the commentator was surprised.
How could Excadrill, apparently on its last legs, still unleash such power?
Yet, facing this powerful strike, Incineroar didn't dodge. It even stopped in its tracks, a mocking grin spreading across its face.
"Roar."
It let out a scoff.
Then, it threw a punch straight at the seemingly unstoppable Excadrill!
Flames ignited around its fist!
Whoosh!
A gust of wind rose—as if fueling the fire—and the flames swelled several times over, turning into a brilliant blue-white blaze!
In an instant, the yellowish vortex collided with that blazing, steel-hard flame fist!
—BOOM!
The air warped!
A blinding white light erupted, followed by a deafening explosion. Flames and smoke shot skyward, engulfing most of the field in an instant!
Snow was completely consumed. The shockwave rippled outward, forcing the arena's protective barriers to activate automatically!
It was a cataclysmic scene!
The spectators erupted in noise and chaos.
Even though they were safe, witnessing such a spectacle up close still startled them.
But after the shock, the adrenaline rush hit like a wave!
Many stood up, leaning forward to peer through the thick smoke that covered the entire field, trying to catch a glimpse of what happened.
Some newcomers worried about the safety of the four competitors. Such a close-range explosion, with that terrifying shockwave—couldn't it be dangerous?
—Of course not.
In fact, just as many were rising to look, the smoke was suddenly swept away in all directions by an invisible force.
The massive crater, the Pokémon inside it, and the four competitors lying just outside—all were exposed to the spectators' view.
At the very bottom of the crater, Incineroar stood out—its body steaming, molten-like heat flowing across its surface, sparks crackling around it.
Gardevoir floated beside it, its white dress billowing gently.
At Incineroar's feet lay two Pokémon.
One was Excadrill, which had held on with sheer willpower until the very end.
The other was Tsareena—which had only appeared once before, had been forced back by Gardevoir, and had just come back to cure Excadrill's burn.
A true two-for-one!
A single attack had taken down two opponents!
"ROOOAR!!"
Incineroar spread its arms wide, letting out a thunderous roar!
Its flaming belt blazed like the sun!
"Incineroar! Incineroar has taken down its opponents! Both of them! Unbelievable! What an incredible Pokémon!"
The commentator was practically screaming, and the crowd followed suit with excited cheers.
In an instant, the entire arena was drowned in sound!
Above the crater, the two members of Celestial Team - Group 2 wore expressions of shock and disbelief.
Others might not know, but they had seen it clearly from the field.
When Excadrill attacked Incineroar, it had been briefly controlled!
That's right—at the peak of its charge, Gardevoir had used Psychic to lock it down for half a second—maybe even less!
In that fraction of a moment—so short the human mind could barely register it—Excadrill had gone from attacker to victim!
That was the critical moment!
The gap between them was already huge, and that brief control had sealed Excadrill's fate. Even Tsareena had been caught in the blast of Incineroar's devastating Flame Punch!
At the same time, they suddenly understood why Incineroar had thrown Excadrill instead of simply finishing it off.
It was to bait out Tsareena!
To take out more of their Pokémon in one fell swoop!
"This Incineroar... is wrong. Something is very wrong."
The male trainer muttered under his breath. He sensed something unusual from Incineroar—a presence he had only ever experienced with his team's ace, Jing Feng!
Impossible!
Li Xiang was just a first-year! His Incineroar had been raised for less than five years!
The female trainer bit her lip. As a Grass-type specialist, she feared Fire-type trainers the most.
Normally, she would have set up rain to protect herself.
But now, she didn't have that chance.
An attack of this magnitude was no longer something Amoonguss could survive, even in the rain.
They exchanged a glance.
They had only one and a half cards left. Their opponents had more—and stronger ones too.
—Dead end.
Those two words seemed carved into their foreheads.
"...I don't believe it!"
The male trainer growled like a cornered beast. "There's still a chance! The final whistle hasn't blown! I won't give up!"
He recalled Excadrill and reached for his next Poké Ball.
He released his Pokémon.
His partner didn't hesitate. She recalled Tsareena and sent out Amoonguss, which was barely hanging on.
In this moment, control had reversed!
The male trainer was now the defeated general!
Bang! Bang!
White light flashed.
Beside the pained Amoonguss appeared a massive brownish Pokémon with yellow stripes, a pink belly, and three eyes—a giant sea slug.
A Water/Ground-type—Gastrodon.
With the Storm Drain Ability.
If Excadrill hadn't been hit by Mean Look, this would have been Gastrodon's time to shine.
But unfortunately, Excadrill had been targeted the whole match, never given a chance to rest or switch—let alone let Gastrodon take the field.
Still, with its resistance to Fire, it would fare equally well against Incineroar!
Inside the crater, the defeated opponents were gone.
Incineroar lifted its head, eyeing the two new opponents and their trainers. It bared its sharp white teeth.
Then, with a savage grin, it drew its right thumb across its throat in a mocking, brutal gesture!
The sheer menace was like a bloodthirsty demon, turning the two trainers pale and their Pokémon stunned!
Just wait!
I'll come up there and crush you both!
Those two lines echoed in the minds of the Celestial Team - Group 2 members.
"Guh! Muddy Water!"
Unable to bear the humiliation, the male trainer roared with all his might!