Chapter 366: Securing First Place
On the evaluators' platform, the professors were whispering amongst themselves.
"Shane's previous battle style was always aggressive and dominant, but Altaria's presence has given him versatility—a sense of steel hidden within silk. This is a fundamental change. If he can continue to deepen this style, his future prospects are limitless!"
"Centralis University is on the rise! With two super-geniuses, being ranked equally with National University and Capital University is no longer a dream."
"Most importantly, I feel Basalt's and Shane's teams are somewhat complementary. It would be very interesting if these two were to team up for a future tournament."
"That's right! The Sandstorm weather can definitely be integrated with Dragonite and Tyrantrum. They reinforce each other!"
Although the match had reached a fever pitch and the final outcome was still uncertain, the professors of Centralis University were already thrilled. From their perspective, no matter who won, they were both Centralis students; the difference was minimal.
However, for Basalt and Shane, the difference was monumental.
"Which Pokémon will you send out next?" Shane raised an eyebrow, his fighting spirit evident.
"Go, Bronzong!" Basalt pondered for a moment before deciding on Super Bell. In terms of versatile status moves, Bronzong was certainly a match for Altaria.
"Broonz~"
Bronzong appeared, and its terrifying psychic power swept out like a gentle breeze. Seeing this, the referee waved his flag. "Match, resume!"
"Gravity!" Basalt communicated telepathically, not speaking aloud.
Omm!
The Gravity field instantly materialized. Altaria felt an invisible hand trying to drag it down.
"Gravity, huh?" Shane's lips curled up slightly. Altaria was very light, weighing only about 20 kilograms, and its massive, fluffy wings provided immense lift. Ordinary Gravity couldn't ground it. Since Cotton Guard had made Altaria even fluffier, and it had Tailwind to boost its flight, anything less than 10x Gravity wouldn't work.
"That's pretty good!" Basalt raised an eyebrow, then immediately changed tactics. "Reverse Gravity!"
The direction of the magnetic field flipped, and the force instantly reversed. Altaria, which had been furiously flapping its wings to stay afloat, suddenly sprang upward like a coiled spring, soaring high into the sky.
"Is that..." Shane's pupils constricted. This sight reminded him of his initial battle against Basalt, where his Druddigon had inexplicably launched into the air. He now finally grasped the serious nature of the situation.
On the evaluators' platform, the professors also realized what was happening. They gasped in astonishment. "That looks like... Reverse Gravity?" But they couldn't be 100% sure; the name of Reverse Gravity was too legendary.
"Yes, it is Reverse Gravity!" Bella Bai confirmed, as she had verified it with Basalt at the start of the year.
"It really is!" The crowd was stunned. Basalt is a disciple of that legendary trainer? Why was this never mentioned? That kid's lips are sealed! They didn't know that Bronzong had learned Reverse Gravity entirely on its own.
Shane tensed up. "Altaria, Sing!"
"Useless," Basalt countered coldly. "Metal Sound!"
The moment Altaria opened its mouth, Bronzong's sharp, screeching metallic sound wave slammed into it, forcing Altaria to cover its ears. The song stopped instantly. At the same time, a dim light faded from Altaria's body. Its Special Defense had been sharply lowered!
"Future Sight!" Basalt commanded again, seizing Altaria's moment of distraction.
Bronzong's psychic power surged, and the invisible attack merged into the void, waiting to strike at a moment in the future. Basalt's strategy was clear: If your Physical Defense is high, I'll attack your Special Defense. Compared to the purely physical Excadrill, the versatile Bronzong had far more options.
"Altaria, Dragon Rush!" With the situation turning against him, Shane decided to use brute force.
Since Gravity limits Altaria's speed and movement, use a powerful ultimate move. Even if it didn't defeat Bronzong, the damage would be significant, hopefully weakening the Gravity field.
"Shane is still too impulsive. He resorts to brute force the moment he hits a roadblock," a professor on the platform sighed.
"Flash Cannon!"
At Basalt's command, Bronzong condensed a luminous stream of energy, meeting the charging Altaria.
BOOM!
The Flash Cannon hit Altaria, forcing it to retreat, whining in pain. Altaria's comprehensive stats meant that when singled out, none of them were exceptional. It was no match for Bronzong in a direct special attack clash, especially after Metal Sound had sharply lowered its Special Defense.
Altaria still had moves like Misty Terrain and Attract, which could lower its opponent's Special Attack to counteract Metal Sound. But Misty Terrain required contact, and Attract utilized gender differences—and Bronzong had no gender. It was stuck!
Shane clenched his fist. "Altaria, Roost!"
Forget everything else. If it doesn't heal, defeat is imminent.
"You want to heal in front of me? You're dreaming!" Basalt sneered, telepathically commanding, "Bronzong, Heal Block!"
A strange light flashed in Bronzong's eyes, and its psychic power struck Altaria just as it landed on the ground.
"Jii~wu!" Altaria paused, confused. The expected stamina recovery didn't happen. What's wrong?
"That Bronzong... it even knows Heal Block?" The professors marveled again. Bronzong was truly a gift that kept on giving.
"Teacher Bella, you absolutely must nurture this Basalt!" the gray-haired professor urged Bella. Talent like this had to be prioritized.
"Don't worry, Teacher Guan. I'll pass that instruction onto the next school team captain," Bella sighed, a hint of sadness in her eyes. In a few days, after her final match, she would graduate. Time was indeed cruel.
Omm! Boom!
Just as Altaria was frozen in confusion, a wave of energy suddenly erupted from the void, striking Altaria with precision. The elegant blue bird didn't even have time to react.
Future Sight!
When the smoke cleared, Altaria was spinning, knocked out cold.
"Altaria is unable to battle! The winner is... Basalt!"
With the referee's final verdict, the exciting grade-wide championship battle finally concluded. Basalt had successfully clinched first place.
Looking at the familiar faces, Basalt felt a wave of melancholy. He knew these peers would no longer be his rivals. His future opponents would be college seniors, Pro League players, or other university team members. Very few people his age were worthy opponents now.
The joy of winning first place was immediately tempered by this realization.
Mr. Burton and the entire class, however, were ecstatic, celebrating as if they had won the championship themselves. That was the joy of collective pride.
After shaking hands with the evaluators, Bella Bai called Basalt over. "Junior, come chat for a bit!"
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