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The moment the referee declared his defeat, Takeshi Aihara felt darkness creeping across his vision. He nearly collapsed on the spot.
With his usual mental fortitude, such a reaction should have been impossible. However, the psychological blow was simply too devastating to bear.
The bitter defeat from four months ago, combined with feelings of frustration and regret, had driven him to view Roy as a formidable opponent worthy of respect. He had dedicated himself to hellish training regimens, pushing his limits day after day.
Takeshi Aihara had felt genuine pride in his relentless efforts and unwavering dedication.
If this had been another close loss similar to their previous encounter, Takeshi would have felt disappointed and annoyed, but he could have accepted the outcome. At worst, he would have continued pursuing improvement with his characteristic determination and perseverance.
But this... this was complete annihilation. A crushing defeat that left no room for excuses or explanations.
Despite working harder than ever before and pushing himself to his absolute limits, why had the strength gap between them only grown wider?
"Takeshi Aihara!"
It wasn't until the referee called his name for the fifth time that Takeshi finally returned to his senses, realizing it was time for him to leave the battlefield.
On the Central University player bench, Captain Fisher watched Takeshi Aihara's transformation from confident determination to lifeless despair, unsure how to respond.
Should he offer comfort? They weren't close enough for such gestures.
Mock him? That would be completely inappropriate given the circumstances.
Most importantly, it was now his turn to face Roy.
Fisher took a deep breath, trying to calm his mounting anxiety. Until today's competition began—no, until Roy had stepped onto the field—he hadn't believed he would need to give everything he had.
While Blastoise and Lucario remained conscious, their stamina was severely depleted, reducing their combat effectiveness significantly. His opponent had only one Pokemon remaining in fighting condition.
Just one...
The more he repeated this fact to himself, the heavier his heart felt. When had a first-year student's Pokemon become something that required such serious consideration?
Roy indeed had only one Pokemon left capable of battle, creating a theoretical possibility of an upset victory. However, he showed no signs of panic or concern whatsoever.
Although Roy preferred to keep his Mega Evolution ability as a hidden trump card, he would use it decisively if the situation demanded it. He wasn't foolish enough to let pride cost him the match.
Moreover, Roy had complete confidence in his third Pokemon's abilities.
"Please confirm that both players are ready to release their Pokemon!" the referee announced.
Without hesitation, two red and white Poke Balls were thrown simultaneously onto the battlefield.
Brilliant light erupted from both spheres, and immediately, every eye in the arena focused on the Pokemon that appeared before Roy.
This was...
A thunderous roar of excitement erupted from the spectator stands.
"A shiny Metagross!"
"Look how magnificent and white it is! And it's enormous! How did you train it to reach that size?"
"It appeared briefly in the European Championships, but only fought weak opponents. This is its true debut!"
"Wait, didn't this Metagross fail to reach its species' potential limit four months ago?"
"This Metagross couldn't possibly have reached professional level, could it?"
"Well, considering Roy chose to send it out last, that possibility can't be completely ruled out."
After witnessing both Blastoise and Lucario demonstrate professional-level strength, the audience watching this match had gradually become somewhat desensitized to shocking revelations. Their reactions were no longer as explosive as they had been initially.
This was natural—like the refractory period following intense emotion, the capacity for shock needed time to recover. The spectators' nerves were currently in a somewhat numbed state.
"Hmm!" Metagross rumbled softly.
Feeling countless gazes filled with various emotions from the crowd, the naturally cautious Metagross felt its anxiety spike dramatically. This nervousness immediately triggered its battle instincts, causing it to emanate a mountain-like aura of intimidation.
On the opposite side of the field, seeing Metagross appear, Fisher's expression turned bitter with resignation.
His chosen Pokemon was Solrock—a Rock-type Pokemon resembling a sun totem with the dual typing of Rock and Psychic.
This type combination put Solrock at a severe disadvantage against Metagross. The steel and psychic-type Pokemon had earned the nickname "Psychic Killer" due to its naturally strong defenses and quadruple resistance to Psychic-type attacks.
Rock-type moves could also only inflict half damage against Metagross's steel typing.
This matchup was no coincidence.
Under Caroline's influence, many trainers at Central University specialized in Psychic-type Pokemon, and Fisher was no exception. He possessed five Pokemon with professional-level strength, placing him just one step away from meeting professional trainer standards.
Without exception, all of these Pokemon excelled at Psychic-type techniques.
Roy had obviously researched this information thoroughly.
Despite the disadvantageous matchup, Fisher refused to give up. Among all his Pokemon, Solrock represented his best chance of defeating Metagross.
The moment the battle began, before either trainer could issue commands, the blazing sun overhead suddenly intensified. Scorching light bathed the entire arena.
This was the move Sunny Day.
Solrock, born with natural affinity for solar energy, possessed unique advantages when using fire-type techniques enhanced by sunlight. Additionally, Metagross was vulnerable to fire-type attacks.
After successfully setting up this weather condition, Fisher finally had the opportunity to give his first command.
"Fire Spin!"
Solrock generated a swirling storm of flames that surrounded Metagross completely. In the next moment, the Fire Spin attack, which was typically designed to inflict gradual damage, rapidly converged toward Metagross under Solrock's precise Psychic control.
The flames completely engulfed Metagross's massive form!
"Did that work?!" Fisher exclaimed with hopeful excitement.
Roy chuckled and replied, "Where exactly do you think your Solrock was aiming?"
The moment those words left his mouth, Solrock suddenly looked upward to see an enormous metallic body descending from the sky.
When had Metagross escaped from the Fire Spin attack?!
"What incredible speed..." Fisher thought in horror.
Solrock, with its excellent mental capabilities, reacted swiftly and used the move Ally Switch, instantly swapping positions with a nearby boulder.
Metagross's massive body crashed into the ground with tremendous force, causing the entire arena to shake violently. The impact created cracks that spread across the surface like a spider web.
This was the move Earthquake!
By striking the ground with its super-heavy body, Metagross had amplified the power of Earthquake significantly. While Metagross wasn't naturally skilled at this ground-type move—its proficiency was only at the intermediate level—the blessing of its super-weight condition allowed it to generate master-level destructive power.
Unlike the fixed mechanics of video games, in reality, the strategic applications of weight manipulation were virtually limitless.
Despite Solrock being a rock-type Pokemon with the Levitate ability that normally provided immunity to Earthquake attacks, it found itself trembling with fear.
Solrock sensed instinctively that if it had been struck by that Body Slam-enhanced Earthquake combination, it would have been defeated instantly. The raw power was simply overwhelming.
"Psychic!"
Seizing the moment while Metagross's four claws were embedded in the ground, Solrock launched its counterattack!
Its Psychic attack was uniquely enhanced, combining solar energy to create an optimized force with flame-like properties. Even with the type disadvantage reducing damage to fifty percent, it should still inflict respectable damage.
The crimson solar-enhanced Psychic energy enveloped Metagross from all directions.
However...
"Huh?" Metagross blinked in mild confusion.
Why did that feel like... a gentle tickle?
Having endured daily underground training sessions with Registeel that could only be described as torture, and lacking extensive real combat experience, Metagross didn't have a clear understanding of its current defensive capabilities.
Its naturally cautious personality had also prevented it from deliberately tanking enemy attacks during previous battles.
So now, it remained frozen in bewilderment.
Seeing Metagross apparently "struggling" against the Psychic attack, Fisher eagerly pressed his advantage:
"Flamethrower!"
While Solrock wasn't naturally a fire-type Pokemon, it could forcibly channel fire-type techniques by combining them with solar energy.
Metagross hesitated momentarily, but seeing Roy's expectant expression encouraging it to continue fighting, it decided to experiment further.
Why not try enduring another attack?
Flames suddenly engulfed Metagross, and the intense heat turned its pristine white metal a glowing red. Like being immersed in a forty-degree Celsius hot spring, Metagross let out a soft hiss and took a deep breath.
However, once its body adjusted to the temperature, the sensation became... rather comfortable?
"Keep going! Solar Beam!"
"Flame Wheel!"
"Fire Blast!"
Fisher initially felt excited as he issued follow-up commands, but soon began to notice something was terribly wrong.
After absorbing so many fire-type attacks, why did Metagross appear to be growing more energetic rather than weakened? Aside from its body glowing red-hot, it seemed completely unaffected.
This was impossible...
"As expected..." Roy wasn't surprised by this development.
Basic physics taught that the higher the density and hardness of a metal, the stronger its molecular bonds became, resulting in higher melting and boiling points. This was knowledge any middle school student should understand.
Through extensive training under extreme underground pressure, Metagross's body had been tempered to an extraordinary degree, simultaneously enhancing its resistance to fire-type energy.
Until the temperature reached its actual melting point, even fire-type moves that were supposedly super effective couldn't inflict meaningful damage.
In other words, Metagross had overcome its traditional weakness to fire-type attacks.
It had achieved a state of near-invulnerability—like tempered steel that could resist both water and fire.
Unfortunately, Lucario's flesh and blood composition made it impossible to attempt similar training methods to overcome its fire weakness.
Of course, this resistance wasn't absolute.
Under the continuous heat of the flames, Metagross's body temperature gradually rose, and it could faintly sense its limits approaching.
Taking mental note of this "limit" sensation—its melting point—Metagross's eyes sharpened as it switched to its weightless condition.
All four claws struck the ground simultaneously.
This was the Ground-type move Stomping Tantrum!
Not intended as an attack, but as a launching mechanism!
In that instant, Solrock saw only a blur as the massive steel monster appeared directly in front of it, raising a fist nearly twice the size of Solrock's entire body.
Then Metagross transmitted an extremely provocative psychic message:
"Master Sun, no need to struggle."
"Let me show you what one hundred times the damage looks like!"
Like a descending comet, the massive fist struck downward with devastating force. The super-weight condition combined with gravitational enhancement made the attack resemble a genuine meteor impact, carrying overwhelming momentum.
BOOM!!
A powerful shockwave erupted, and the tremendous air pressure cleared away all the smoke and dust that had been lingering in the arena.
When the debris settled, what greeted everyone's eyes was Solrock lying unconscious, its expression somehow suggesting embarrassment even in defeat.
We may never know what thoughts passed through Solrock's mind as it fell...