"Don't give Rhyperior any chance to recover—use Rock Climb!" Ash shouted with determination.
"Grooootle!"
Grotle roared in response. Its forelimbs glowed as energy formed sharp white claws along them. With a powerful slam against the ground, the earth trembled violently.
In an instant, the battlefield shifted.
The ground cracked and surged upward, forming a steep mound of rock and soil beneath Rhyperior. The sudden rise lifted the massive Pokémon high into the air.
Gasps rippled through the audience.
"Whoa—did you see that?!" someone shouted.
"Grotle actually lifted Rhyperior!"
Without hesitation, Grotle charged up the newly formed slope with incredible determination. Each step shook loose stones as it climbed higher and higher, its eyes blazing with resolve.
"Rhy—PERIOR!"
Rhyperior raised its arms and launched a Rock Wrecker, the massive sphere of rock energy hurtling toward Grotle like a meteor.
But Grotle reacted quickly.
With a powerful leap, it dodged the incoming projectile. The Rock Wrecker exploded behind it, sending shards of stone flying across the arena.
Then Grotle spun midair and slammed directly into Rhyperior.
BOOM!!
The impact echoed across the battlefield.
Rhyperior's enormous body was knocked backward several meters, skidding across the elevated mound.
"Finish it in one move!" Ash shouted excitedly.
For a moment, the crowd erupted with hope.
"Ash might actually win!"
"Rhyperior is being pushed back!"
"Look at Grotle go!"
Only Gary remained calm.
He watched the battle carefully, his expression thoughtful.
Rhyperior hadn't defended itself earlier. That was the only reason Grotle managed to knock it back so easily.
The true battle hadn't even begun yet.
BAM!
Grotle slammed into Rhyperior again, driving its weight forward with everything it had.
This time, however, Rhyperior braced itself.
Its massive arms blocked the attack.
Even so, Grotle pushed forward relentlessly, almost as if it had gained a sudden burst of strength. Inch by inch, it forced the towering Rock- and Ground-type Pokémon backward.
The mound beneath them trembled.
Rhyperior was nearly pushed to the edge.
Just as it seemed about to lose its balance—
WHAM!
Rhyperior slammed its heavy tail against the ground.
The impact stabilized its footing, anchoring its massive body in place.
Now the momentum stopped.
Grotle continued pushing forward with all its might—but it could no longer move Rhyperior even a single step.
Palmer watched the exchange with a calm smile.
"To push Rhyperior this far…" he murmured.
"This Twinleaf Festival was worth attending after all."
Then his expression grew serious.
"Rhyperior—show them Rock Wrecker!"
"RHY—PERIOR!"
Rhyperior raised its massive arms. A glowing sphere of compressed rock energy formed between its palms.
This was no ordinary stone attack.
The sphere pulsed with explosive power.
"ROOOAR!"
With a thunderous roar, Rhyperior brought the Rock Wrecker down onto Grotle's back.
BOOOOM!!!
A massive explosion erupted atop the mound.
Smoke and dust filled the air as the entire mound collapsed under the force of the attack.
For a moment, the battlefield was hidden beneath a cloud of debris.
Then the dust slowly settled.
Grotle lay motionless on the ground.
"Gro…"
It struggled weakly but couldn't stand again.
Nearby, Rhyperior dropped onto one knee, breathing heavily.
Palmer had clearly taken a risk allowing the battle to progress this far.
Despite Rhyperior's high level, it still suffered from a four-times weakness to Grass-type attacks.
If Grotle had been even slightly stronger—perhaps above level fifty—the outcome of this battle might have been completely different.
The referee raised a flag.
"Grotle is unable to battle!"
"Rhyperior wins! The winner of this match is Palmer!"
The crowd burst into excited chatter.
"Palmer really is incredible!"
"He won even with that huge type disadvantage!"
"Still, that Ash kid was impressive."
"Yeah! He pushed Palmer's Rhyperior further than most challengers!"
Barry pumped his fist proudly.
"See? I told you! My dad is unbeatable!"
Dawn sighed as she finished a bite of takoyaki.
"That was so close… Ash almost had it."
Gary shook his head slightly.
"You're overestimating Grotle's chances," he said calmly.
"Yes, Rhyperior took damage—but with its endurance, it could easily withstand three more attacks like that."
Dawn frowned.
"Really? But it looked like Rhyperior was about to collapse."
Gary explained patiently.
"That's because of its body type."
"Rhyperior is an extremely heavy Pokémon. It's not designed for constant movement. After intense activity, it looks exhausted even if it still has plenty of stamina left."
"So it seems like it's barely holding on—but unless you land a decisive finishing blow, you won't actually defeat it."
Barry nodded eagerly.
"Exactly! My dad's Rhyperior is the wall of the Battle Tower! Very few Trainers have ever broken through it."
Dawn turned toward Gary.
"So… do you think you can defeat Palmer?"
Barry immediately answered before Gary could speak.
"My dad definitely won't lose!"
Brock chuckled and crossed his arms.
"Don't be so sure, Barry."
"Gary conquered the Battle Frontier in Kanto. If he uses his strongest Pokémon, even Palmer might have trouble."
Barry's jaw dropped.
"Wait—what?!"
"He conquered the Battle Frontier?!"
Brock nodded.
"Not just Gary. Ash did it too."
Barry looked even more stunned.
"Ash conquered the Battle Frontier too?!"
To Barry, that seemed impossible.
He had battled Ash several times and always thought they were roughly equal in skill.
He had never imagined Ash possessed that level of experience.
Gary shrugged.
"Ash has been a Trainer for three years already," he explained. "Most of his older Pokémon are extremely strong—even if they aren't with him right now."
Barry stared at Ash in disbelief.
"You seriously never mentioned any of that!"
Ash laughed awkwardly.
"Well… it never really came up."
Barry crossed his arms dramatically.
"That's cheating! I told you everything about myself!"
Gary smirked slightly.
Ash might look honest and straightforward—but sometimes he was surprisingly good at hiding things.
Just like the time he accidentally destroyed Misty's bicycle… and then later did the same to May's bicycle.
Those stories still made Gary chuckle whenever he remembered them.
Meanwhile, Johanna stepped back onto the stage holding a trophy.
She smiled warmly at Ash.
"Congratulations on winning the Twinleaf Battle Conference!"
Ash accepted the trophy proudly.
Although it was made of polished copper rather than gold, it was still a meaningful reward.
Then Johanna raised the microphone again.
"Ladies and gentlemen! The tournament portion of the festival has now concluded!"
The crowd cheered loudly.
"But the event isn't over yet," she continued with a playful smile.
"A very special Battle Frontier exhibition match will begin shortly!"
The crowd erupted.
"Yes!"
"Hurry up!"
"I've always wanted to see a Frontier Brain battle!"
"Start already!"
Battle Frontier matches were extremely rare for the public to witness.
Normally, spectators had to purchase tickets for the Battle Tower, and even then it depended on whether a challenger had earned the right to battle Palmer.
This time, however, the match was being held publicly during the festival.
Naturally, excitement filled the entire town.
Some vendors even hurried to reopen their stalls, hoping to profit from the large gathering of spectators.