Seeing Iris' Archeops use Earthquake amused Lucas at her naivety.
"Too naive. Aqua Tail!"
Just as Iris thought she'd seized the upper hand, Lucas' calm voice suddenly rang out.
"??" Iris froze for a second, eyes widening in disbelief.
Behind Archeops, the ground suddenly split apart—
a gigantic golden Arbok burst out from beneath the earth, its towering body coiling upward like a pillar of gold. A tail wrapped in streaming torrents of water swung through the air with terrifying force, smashing straight toward Archeops!
The speed was simply unimaginable!
"Rock Slide!"
Iris's pupils contracted sharply. How could it be this fast?
Even if Arbok was skilled at using Dig, it shouldn't have been able to reach Archeops' rear so quickly!
But no matter how shocked she was, counterattacking was the only thing she could do!
Archeops beat its wings to retreat while its body glimmered with energy. Shards of rock condensed into sharp blades around it—
But in the next instant, Water Tail suddenly accelerated!
BOOM!
The flowing blue strike crushed through the forming Rock Slide in an instant, slamming full-force into Archeops.
With a pained screech, Archeops was sent tumbling across the battlefield, rolling several times before struggling to its feet again, wings half-spread, glaring cautiously at Arbok.
The golden serpent didn't rush to follow up. Its massive body swayed in an unnerving rhythm, its icy, predatory eyes locking onto Archeops—like a true hunter waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
…
At the Indigo Plateau, Kanto
"This move…"
Lorelei narrowed her eyes slightly as she stared at the image of Arbok in the live broadcast, as if recalling something. Then she turned toward the elderly woman beside her.
When it came to understanding Arbok, no one was more authoritative than Agatha.
Arbok wasn't considered a powerful species in general terms. Compared to many popular Pokémon, its overall stats were mediocre.
But Agatha's Arbok had broken that rule entirely—it was one of her main forces.
"There's no mistaking it," Agatha said, her old, clouded eyes glinting faintly as she chuckled lowly. "This Arbok has also awakened its special trait… Heh… what a remarkable young man."
Her words carried both astonishment and admiration.
It was well known that while Arbok wasn't the strongest species, it possessed a peculiar, rare ability—
the patterns on its belly would change depending on various conditions.
According to the latest research, there were over twenty different pattern variations!
And each pattern granted a unique boost in power or attribute change. This was the essence of what Agatha called the "Death Gaze Art"—the art of transformation through markings.
Agatha herself used to manually modify her Arbok's belly patterns to enhance different capabilities depending on the situation.
But Lucas's Arbok had clearly learned to control that ability on its own.
…
"How fast…!"
Iris frowned. Just from that brief exchange, she already understood how unusual this Arbok was.
"Archeops, use Rock Slide again!"
With a sharp cry, Archeops spread its wings wide. Massive stones materialized above Arbok's head, then rained down at high speed!
"Dodge it," Lucas ordered casually.
His faint smile never wavered. He could tell Iris was trying to force his Arbok to move.
"Quick Attack!"
Iris shouted, refusing to back down. If her opponent relied on speed, she would simply strike faster!
Her Archeops wasn't afraid of high-speed foes!
A white streak of light flashed behind Archeops as it dashed forward with astonishing speed—its running speed was far faster than its flight speed!
"Oh?" Lucas chuckled faintly. "Aqua Tail."
Arbok's vertical pupils locked onto the incoming Archeops. The pattern on its abdomen shimmered and began to shift.
Power surge.
Streams of water spiraled around its tail as it timed the swing perfectly. With a violent crack, the tail lashed toward Archeops.
"Dragon Claw!" Iris countered instantly, her voice full of defiance.
If it came down to raw power, there was no reason her Archeops should lose to an Arbok!
With Quick Attack enhancing its speed, the result should be obvious!
Archeops' talons gleamed with a sharp azure light as it swung its claws to meet the incoming Water Tail.
BOOM!
Dragon Claw collided with Aqua Tail, the impact sending shockwaves that rolled across the battlefield.
"How—how could this be!?"
Iris's eyes widened. Archeops wasn't gaining the upper hand at all!
That made no sense!
Archeops was famous for its incredible physical strength—it was one of her most powerful attackers, rivaled only by her Haxorus.
But this Arbok… was overpowering it?!
"Crush it," Lucas said softly, his smile widening.
Arbok's forked tongue flickered as the cold light in its eyes intensified. With a powerful surge of strength, it pressed down harder—its Aqua Tail overpowering Archeops' Dragon Claw entirely.
"Dragon Pulse!" Iris quickly called out.
Archeops opened its beak, gathering swirling blue dragon energy—
"Bind it."
Arbok's massive body suddenly lifted off the ground, coiling around Archeops' midsection in an instant.
Its scales constricted, each movement carrying terrifying power.
Archeops let out a pained cry as it felt the crushing bind of the Arbok.
Those anyone familiar with constricting snakes knew that once a serpent wrapped around its prey, its crushing strength was truly horrifying.
Arbok wasn't a python, but with a body nearly five meters long, its power far surpassed any earthly serpent.
"Archeops!" Iris's face changed. So, this was the advantage of serpent-type Pokémon!
"Dragon Claw—break free!"
Archeops' claws glowed once again, slashing at Arbok's body—its wings weren't restrained, after all!
But before the blow could land, Arbok's coils tightened abruptly—
The immense pressure sent waves of pain through Archeops' body, freezing its movements mid-swing.
"Slam it," Lucas commanded coolly.
Arbok flexed, then suddenly leapt high into the air, carrying Archeops with it. It spun rapidly before hurling Archeops downward with terrifying force.
BOOM!
The crash shook the entire battlefield.
Arbok landed silently, its cold eyes unchanging, gazing at the fallen Archeops without emotion.
…
"What a terrifying Arbok… Archeops is completely being crushed," Raihan muttered, shocked.
This was absurd—Archeops in full condition was supposed to be incredibly strong.
Its attack, special attack, and speed were all top-tier. Iris's Archeops in particular had shone brilliantly in her previous match against Hoenn Champion Wallace!
And yet now, it was being completely overpowered.
"The power level really is too high… You guys remember Agatha's Arbok, right?" Steven murmured, rubbing his chin.
"'Death Gaze Art, that was the secret technique of Agatha's Arbok," Leon explained seriously. "By changing the patterns on its abdomen, Arbok can enhance its attributes, adapting to any situation."
"I've been watching closely. Since the battle began, Lucas' Arbok's markings have already changed twice," Leon added, his voice calm but impressed.
Cynthia shook her head softly. "Iris' in trouble. Archeops becomes drastically weaker after taking heavy damage."
Everyone knew it—the Pokémon was powerful, but fragile.
At full strength, Archeops could rival pseudo-legendaries. But once its HP fell too low, its unique ability Defeatist would trigger—
cutting its attack and special attack in half.
That's right—Archeops' own ability weakened it!
Even though it wasn't a Legendary Pokémon, its base attack stat reached 140, with special attack and speed both over 110, an incredible stat spread that rivaled many pseudo-legendaries.
But because of that one trait, its overall value dropped sharply.
…
"Archeops! Pull yourself together! The battle isn't over!" Iris tried to encourage her Pokémon loudly but it seems to not work.
"Arbok, finish this," Lucas said, shaking his head slightly.
He hadn't pursued earlier because he wanted to see the true effect of Defeatist in real life.
Now he understood. Not only did the ability reduce stats—it even seemed to drain the Pokémon's fighting spirit.
Such an opponent… was no longer worth fighting.
Moments later, despite Iris's desperate encouragement, Archeops' resistance crumbled under one final Aqua Tail.
"Archeops is unable to battle! Arbok wins!"
The referee raised his flag, and Archeops' icon beside Iris's portrait dimmed on the big screen.
She had lost her third Pokémon.
…
"Come on, Iris!"
"You can still do it—don't give up!"
"So strong… This Lucas guy is unbelievable. Even Iris's in deep trouble!"
By this point, Iris had already lost three Pokémon, while Lucas had only used two—his first, Guzzlord, hadn't even been defeated, merely recalled!
The crowd could see it clearly—this battle was completely one-sided.
The previously unknown heir of the Blackthorn clan was displaying terrifying power.
"Still able to fight? Or has your will been broken too?" Lucas asked lightly, watching Iris's silence with a faint smile.
"What kind of joke is that? I'm not that fragile! The real battle starts now!" Iris snapped back sharply.
Who did he think she was? She wasn't the kind of Trainer to give up after a few losses!
"That's the spirit," Lucas smiled. "Then show me."
"Fine! Keep your eyes open and watch, Lucas. Hydreigon, take the stage!"
Iris hurled out her next Poké Ball.
With a deep, rumbling growl, a dark blue, three-headed dragon emerged, hovering menacingly in front of her—
Her second ace, the Unova pseudo-legendary: Hydreigon, the Dark/Dragon-type Pokémon!
(End of Chapter)