On the stands, Rose secretly let out a sigh of relief.
As for Tapu Koko, one of the four guardian deities of the Alola Islands, he had certainly heard of it before.
As a legendary Pokémon, its strength was undoubtedly far beyond what ordinary Pokémon could rival.
But still, it was better than Stephen sending out Bewear, right?
Rose quietly felt thankful for his good relationship with Stephen; otherwise, Leon would have been utterly humiliated in front of the entire world.
"Alright, let's go, Leon," Stephen said, tilting his head in a casual gesture.
"Of course!" Leon responded exuberantly.
The moment Leon finished speaking, the entire world seemed to blink as one. In that instant, people realized with shock that both Tapu Koko, standing before Stephen, and Dragapult, standing before Leon, had disappeared.
Boom!
In the next moment, the muffled sound of a heavy impact came through.
The cameras on the drones immediately swiveled to capture the action.
Only then did the audience watching the livestream realize that the two Pokémon, who had been standing over 20 meters apart, were now in mid-air just over five meters from the center of the battlefield. Their heads collided with a burst of lightning and dark shockwaves.
That was Electro Ball and Phantom Force colliding!
"Not bad—keeping up with Tapu Koko's speed," Stephen's eyes lit up.
"Of course! Dragapult has been my partner for longer than anyone except Charizard!" Leon replied with a hearty laugh. Suddenly, his gaze turned serious, and he shouted: "Double Shot!"
Instantly, two small Dreepy emerged from the cannon-like slots on either side of Dragapult's head. Their bodies radiated a sharp, blue flame symbolizing dragon energy as they shot forward with a sharp whoosh.
Typically, when Pokémon use the move Double Shot, they attack with their tails or other body parts in quick succession.
But Dragapult was different. In some ways, it could be considered a trinity of Pokémon.
Boom!
Tapu Koko instinctively raised the golden shield on its right arm to block the first attack. However, as it blocked the first shot, the second Dreepy curved around its shoulder and struck its side with a loud bang.
Caught off guard, Tapu Koko let out a grunt of pain and was sent flying through the air.
Whoosh—!
Spinning mid-air, Tapu Koko looked down at Dragapult, whose expression seemed perpetually drowsy, with a trace of excitement in its eyes.
Initially, Tapu Koko had been forced into this battle due to the threat of that bear, but now... this was unexpectedly interesting!
"Shadow Ball!"
Leon had no intention of letting up after gaining a slight upper hand.
Against the Fairy-type Tapu Koko, Dragapult's usual Dragon-type moves were effectively sealed off. Moreover, Dragapult didn't have many moves that were particularly effective against Tapu Koko.
Leon decided to press his advantage and weaken the opponent as much as possible with continuous attacks!
Following its trainer's command, Dragapult unleashed its incredible speed as a pseudo-legendary Pokémon. In a blink, it appeared above Tapu Koko's predicted landing spot and fired a purple-black energy orb at the deity's back.
"Discharge."
Stephen calmly commanded.
In mid-fall, Tapu Koko's eyes sharpened. Without changing its position, it unleashed a massive, indiscriminate discharge of golden lightning in all directions.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Violent, erratic golden lightning erupted from Tapu Koko's body, striking everything around it.
Some of the electricity collided with the incoming Shadow Ball, neutralizing it, while the rest acted like a pole vault, propelling Tapu Koko upward and allowing it to regain balance in mid-air.
Countless trainers watching on television froze in shock. You can do that!?
"As expected of Dr. Stephen! Using the wide-range attack move Discharge, he not only neutralized Champion Leon's Dragapult's attack but also allowed Tapu Koko to stabilize itself mid-air!"
"He's proving to us that even when using a Legendary Pokémon like Tapu Koko, he's still the world's greatest trainer!"
In the commentary booth, DJ Mary, who had been relatively calm earlier, was now gripping the microphone tightly, her personality suddenly shifting from shy to fiery.
Surrounded by electricity, Tapu Koko raised its eyebrows slightly. Something about that comment didn't feel quite right...
"Charge, Dragapult!"
Seeing the Shadow Ball neutralized, Leon didn't hesitate for even a millisecond.
Dragapult weaved through the widespread lightning bolts with its ghostly agility, rapidly closing the distance to Tapu Koko in mid-air.
Although Discharge covered a large area, there were still gaps in the electric currents. Even if Dragapult accidentally touched the electricity, its excellent resistance would allow it to shrug off the damage.
"Dazzling Gleam."
Stephen raised a hand, pointing forward.
Tapu Koko spread its arms wide and unleashed a torrent of pale pink particles, raining down like a storm of petals.
"Fire Blast!"
Leon responded without hesitation, commanding Dragapult to counter.
Dragapult opened its mouth wide, spewing out a blazing column of fire. The flame split into five streams mid-air, forming the shape of the kanji for "large" (大).
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Countless pink particles collided with the fiery kanji, creating explosions that scattered embers like a fiery rain across the battlefield.
"This battle between these two trainers is truly incredible!"
In the Hoenn region, even though there was a transparent barrier protecting them, Winona instinctively raised an arm to shield herself from the imagined impact.
"What's incredible is Leon. He's managing to hold his ground against Dr. Stephen, even with a disadvantageous type matchup," Steven Stone marveled.
It could only be said that there were levels even among Champions.
Steven and Cynthia had only recently solidified their positions as Champions, while Wallace was halfway to reaching that level.
Leon, however, was among the very best of Champions—a truly exceptional trainer even within that elite group.
Of course, that was only true if you ignored Stephen, who was essentially a bug in the system.
Diantha pursed her lips quietly, feeling a little uncomfortable at Steven's words.
Strictly speaking, she was still stuck at the Elite Four level, even if she was only one step away from becoming a Champion.
But a gap was a gap—there was no denying it.
"Phantom Force!"
Back on the battlefield, Leon issued another command.
Dragapult instantly vanished into the shadows, disappearing without a trace.
"Phantom Force—a move that allows the user to slip into the shadow dimension and launch a surprise attack. Even defensive moves like Protect can't block it," Bruno of the Indigo Plateau muttered to himself, recalling how troublesome the move had been when Agatha used it against him.
"With Tapu Koko's observational skills, it should be able to predict where Dragapult will emerge," Lorelei commented from another sofa, crossing her legs.
On the screen, Tapu Koko began moving in small, quick steps, darting rapidly across the battlefield.
"Smart! This way, Dragapult won't be able to easily lock onto a target. When Dragapult does emerge to attack, Tapu Koko can evade immediately."
As a Fighting-type trainer, Bea immediately saw the subtle strategy within it.
It's just like how Fighting-type Pokémon prefer to take small, measured steps during battle. The key lies in instantaneous reflexes.
Finally, in front of Tapu Koko's left side, a figure suddenly materialized out of thin air.
It appeared—Dragapult!
Tapu Koko spread its arms wide, gathering countless pale pink particles of light in front of it.
It was about to use Dazzling Gleam again.
"Attack the rear-right!"
At that critical moment, Stephen's command rang out.
Both Leon on the opposing side and Tapu Koko, who was preparing to unleash its attack, froze in shock.
If it were one of Stephen's own Pokémon, it wouldn't even hesitate; it would've turned and attacked immediately.
But Tapu Koko, after all, was just a temporary recruit captured by Bewear. Hearing Stephen's command caused it to instinctively hesitate for a moment.
Thud—!
In the next instant, Tapu Koko felt a sharp pain in its back.
It struggled to turn its head and saw a dark purple aura of ghostly energy slamming into its lower back—the attack had come from that same Dragapult!
H-how could this be…
Tapu Koko couldn't comprehend it.
Before it could figure out why, it was sent flying by Dragapult's attack, crashing into the invisible barrier in front of the audience stands. It landed back near the other Dragapult that had first appeared.
Tapu Koko propped itself up with one hand, gritting its teeth to endure the pain, but confusion still filled its eyes.
W-what's going on?
Why are there two of them?
"That was a neat trick."
Stephen didn't hold back on his praise.
"Haha, it's nothing special, and yet you still saw through it so clearly, Doctor," Leon scratched the back of his head, grinning.
Tapu Koko launched a quick Thunderbolt at the Dragapult closest to it, sending it flying.
With just one hit, the Dragapult vanished into thin air, disappearing without a trace.
That's right—the Dragapult was just a substitute.
"A Substitute?" Misty, watching from Cerulean City's Gym, exclaimed in surprise.
She understood now.
After Dragapult used Phantom Force to enter another dimension, it didn't immediately launch an attack. Instead, it sacrificed a portion of its stamina to create a Substitute on Tapu Koko's left front. Then, it dove back into the alternate dimension and quietly positioned itself behind Tapu Koko's rear right.
When Tapu Koko focused all its attention on the Substitute in front of it, Dragapult launched a surprise attack from behind.
"No wonder they say Leon is an undefeated Champion since his debut. It's not just his strength; his strategies are just as impressive," a tomboyish girl in Hoenn's Littleroot Town Research Lab remarked with admiration.
"No, if Tapu Koko hadn't hesitated for that moment, that move wouldn't have even hit. It looks like the synergy between that island guardian and Dr. Stephen isn't quite there yet," Professor Birch shook his head, analyzing.
Bewear, glared at Tapu Koko, her dissatisfaction evident even through the Poké Ball's lid. Tapu Koko instinctively shuddered under her piercing gaze.
Stephen silently praised Leon in his heart.
No wonder he was able to nearly capture Eternatus at its peak without relying on Dynamaxing.
Although the details weren't shown in full, and Eternatus hadn't used its trump card of Eternamax at the time, the fact that Leon almost single-handedly subdued the Poison Dragon Pokémon was enough to prove he was in a league of his own among Champions.
At his peak, Leon was likely on the same level as Giovanni from the original series—a trainer with one foot in the Master rank.
"Tapu Koko's stamina is nearly depleted. Alright, Tapu Fini, it's your turn…"
Stephen lowered his gaze to the Poké Ball on his belt, which contained Tapu Fini—a Pokémon that looked like a little girl sitting in a baby stroller.
Bewear squinted at Tapu Fini with a warning glance.
You'd better do well!
Tapu Fini nodded frantically.
But just then, Tapu Koko, who had been hunched over and worn out, suddenly straightened up. It shouted at Stephen.
"Koko!"
"You still want to fight?" Stephen raised an eyebrow.
Tapu Koko forced itself to stand in front of Stephen again, assuming a battle stance against Dragapult. Its pride wouldn't allow it to back down like this!
Thud!
However, to everyone's shock, Bewear suddenly burst out of Stephen's Poké Ball. She appeared behind Tapu Koko and kicked it in the rear, grabbing the scruff of its neck and dragging it out of the battlefield.
Tapu Koko sprawled on the ground in embarrassment and turned to protest angrily, but the moment it locked eyes with Bewear, it immediately cowered, drooping its head and letting itself be dragged out of the arena.
"That was terrifying…" A boy in New Bark Town swallowed nervously.
The once-proud Tapu Koko now looked as meek as a puppy after being scolded.
"Alright, it's time to avenge your colleague, Tapu Fini," Stephen called out, throwing his second Poké Ball.
As the ball opened, even before the white light faded, colorful scales scattered across the battlefield.
Paired with Tapu Fini's cute, doll-like appearance, it was a dazzling entrance that would've been a show-stopper in a Pokémon Contest.
"Sending out Tapu Fini, huh?" Kukui, acting as the referee, was visibly surprised.
It was already unfortunate that Tapu Koko had lost so much stamina due to its lack of trust in Stephen, especially since Dragapult didn't have many moves specifically countering it.
But Tapu Fini? As a Psychic/Fairy type, it was weak to Ghost moves—Dragapult's primary typing.
Other spectators who had access to Tapu Fini's type information shared Kukui's thoughts.
At this point, sending out Tapu Bulu or Tapu Lele would've been better than Tapu Fini, right?
Sure, Dragapult could learn Fire and Electric moves, but at least those weren't STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) moves. Tapu Fini was the worst choice against Dragapult.
Could Stephen be so confident in his abilities that he didn't care about type advantages?
"What's so strange about this? Winning against an opponent with a type disadvantage is way more exciting!"
In front of his TV, Ash exclaimed in excitement, "Isn't that right, Pikachu?"
"Pika Pika!"
Pikachu nodded in deep agreement.
Red: ...
He had a feeling that his little bro would take a major fall over this matter in the future.
"Though I don't know what Dr. Stephen is thinking, we won't hold back."
Leon raised his hand in a sweeping motion. "Dragapult, Shadow Ball!"
Dragapult opened its mouth and once again gathered a dark purple energy ball, launching it forward.
As Tapu Fini entered the battlefield, a light purple mist immediately began to spread across the battlefield.
It was Tapu Fini's ability—Misy Surge.
"Protect."
Hearing Stephen's command, Tapu Fini extended its palm outward.
A pale pink spherical shield enveloped Tapu Fini, providing 360° protection without gaps.
The Shadow Ball struck the shield without causing the slightest ripple.
But just as Stephen ordered Tapu Fini to use "Protect," Leon had already issued another command.
"Phantom Force!"
This move could bypass protective barriers.
"Substitute."
Hearing Stephen's next command, the entire audience was stunned.
Using "Substitute" at this moment!?
In the next second, inside the protective shield, a faint pink light emerged from Tapu Fini's body, as if its soul was leaving its body. The light coalesced beside Tapu Fini, forming another Tapu Fini.
However, this "Tapu Fini" stood motionless, expressionless.
"What's the point of using Substitute at a time like this!?" Caitlin exclaimed dramatically.
At this moment, Dragapult had already created a small spatial hole in the shield, slipping through and heading straight for the Tapu Fini on the right, the one that was clearly the real body.
As for the Substitute on the left, it didn't even glance at it.
This was why the move "Substitute" was considered a god-tier move in the games, but was almost never used in anime or manga.
The reason? The move not only consumed the Pokémon's energy but also rendered the substitute incapable of any action—a mere wooden dummy.
At most, as Leon had just demonstrated, it could be used to briefly confuse the enemy. Anything beyond that was nearly impossible.
In 99% of cases, it was utterly useless—just as pointless as Magikarp's Splash.
However, just as Dragapult's ghostly energy-infused body was about to collide with Tapu Fini in the final moment—
"Ally Switch."
Stephen spoke again.
In an instant, Tapu Fini's large eyes glowed with a brilliant blue light.
With a "whoosh," its figure and that of the Substitute flickered and swapped places.
Boom—!
Dragapult slammed harshly into the target.
The "Tapu Fini" struck was smashed down to the battlefield below, creating a pit seven or eight meters wide at its center.
But in the next moment, the "Tapu Fini" in the pit vanished into thin air like a mirage.
It was a Substitute!
Dragapult's expression changed, but immediately afterward, it sensed a strong sense of danger coming from its right side.
There, the seemingly harmless Tapu Fini extended its right palm outward, gathering a basketball-sized pink energy ball as if performing a Rasengan.
It was Moonblast!
"Go," Stephen said calmly.
In an instant, Tapu Fini pushed the pink "Rasengan" forward.
The Moonblast struck Dragapult's cheek, carrying the dragon's most dreaded energy. The attack pushed the ghostly dragon backward.
The Moonblast drove Dragapult across the battlefield, passing Leon's side.
Boom!
A deafening explosion echoed from behind Leon's right side.
The audience sitting in that area felt a sudden, intense tremor beneath their seats.
Looking down, they saw Dragapult lying unconscious on the ground, its eyes spiraling.
"Dr-Dragapult is unable to battle! Tapu Fini wins!"
Everything had happened so suddenly that Kukui only managed to announce the results after Leon had rushed down from the command platform to check on Dragapult.
Korrina—who wasn't yet the Shalour City Gym Leader but had a good relationship with Ash in the future—looked at the senior trainers around her in astonishment. "Just now… did Tapu Fini use Ally Switch to swap places with its Substitute?"
Drasna nodded solemnly. "Yes, Ally Switch can only be used on an ally willing to swap places. It doesn't work on targets with resistance. But I never thought it could be used to swap with a Substitute."
Diantha licked her dry lips. "At that moment, Dragapult was entirely focused on the real Tapu Fini on the right. It never expected Tapu Fini to swap with its Substitute at the last second. After using its full strength for Phantom Force, Dragapult's body couldn't adjust in time. And with Tapu Fini so close, there was no way it could miss!"
Caitlin: "Wha-What kind of strategy is this…?"
Lucian adjusted his glasses. "Earlier, Leon's use of 'Substitute' caused Tapu Koko to suffer a major loss. That's why Dr. Stephen came up with this strategy to fight fire with fire, defeating Dragapult and avenging Tapu Koko. Truly brilliant."
Flint clapped his hands. "Even without relying on brute force like Bewear, his strategic thinking is world-class. With him on our side, we don't have to fear Joker or Team Rocket anymore!"
Cynthia: ...
How to put it—while Stephen's growing strength was reassuring, it also gave her an inexplicable sense of unease.
She could only hope her suspicions were wrong.
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