Ten minutes passed in a flash, and the second half of the match began.
At the host's spirited announcement and amidst the thunderous cheers of the audience, Yozora and Red stepped into the arena once more, each taking their designated positions and facing off.
"Whoosh!" With a flash of white light, Red followed up the rhythm of the first half. At the referee's signal, he sent out his Dragonite.
At present, Red still had four Pokémon available. Among them, Dragonite, Moltres, and Venusaur had already appeared on stage.
As for the last one—there was no need to even guess—it had to be Poliwrath.
On Yozora's side, three Pokémon remained. Beedrill and Golduck had already fought.
"All right, the second half has officially begun! Dragonite looks fired up!"
The host marveled at the determined gleam in Dragonite's eyes, then quickly shifted his attention toward Yozora. "Now then, which Pokémon will Yozora send out to face Dragonite? From earlier rounds, it seemed he was saving Golduck specifically to counter Red's Moltres! So right now, will he be sending out Beedrill?"
Just like the host, countless spectators leaned forward with eager anticipation.
Everyone wanted to know—which one would Yozora choose? Beedrill? Or that mysterious final Pokémon he had yet to reveal?
"Go! Buzzwole!" Yozora decisively released his next Pokémon.
"BUZZ-WOAH!"
The instant Buzzwole appeared, it flexed its massive muscles in a dramatic pose.
"Wh-what the…?"
For a moment, even the host's brain short-circuited, staring blankly at the creature. The stadium fell into a stunned silence.
Tens of thousands of spectators gazed at Buzzwole, all equally shocked and bewildered.
What… what kind of Pokémon was that?!
Clearly, 99% of the audience—including the host—had never seen Buzzwole before.
After a prompt came through the referee's earpiece from the League staff, the host finally understood and shouted, "According to expert confirmation, this creature that resembles a giant mosquito but is covered head-to-toe in bulging muscle is not a Pokémon native to our world! It is an Ultra Beast, a lifeform from beyond the stars! Its name—Buzzwole!"
"Furthermore, according to reliable research, Ultra Beasts are comparable to Legendary Pokémon, often wielding overwhelming power far beyond the norm!"
"Unbelievable! Yozora is only a rookie trainer, and yet he's managed to capture an Ultra Beast?!"
"BOOM!"
The stadium erupted into chaos, an uproar like a tidal wave.
Buzzwole?!An extraterrestrial Ultra Beast, a being on par with Legends?!Unstoppable!
"Good grief… Yozora and Red are absolute freaks. One's captured a Legendary, the other's captured an Ultra Beast…" Ryūnan twitched at the corner of his mouth.
He himself had spent an immense price to acquire a Totem Trapinch from a trainer named Hayate.
For days, he had been delighted with his accomplishment. But now? Suddenly, his Totem Trapinch didn't feel quite so impressive anymore.
Because of Buzzwole's appearance, the stadium was in total frenzy.
Yet, Red stood calm and composed in the arena.
An Ultra Beast?
If it were anyone else, Red might have been shaken. But since it was Yozora, he wasn't surprised in the least.
To him, Yozora had always been his greatest rival—perhaps even stronger than himself.
If Red could capture a Legendary, then Yozora being able to capture a Legendary—or something equal to one—was only natural.
Nothing to be shocked about at all.
At this moment, Red's mind was purer, sharper, more focused than anyone else's. He immediately began analyzing Buzzwole.
"Judging by its build and form, this Buzzwole must be a Bug- and Fighting-type Pokémon."
Red was Red indeed. Even though it was his first time seeing Buzzwole, he quickly deduced its typing.
And once you knew the typing, you knew the weaknesses.
And once you knew the weaknesses, a battle plan instantly came to mind.
"Dragonite, Flamethrower!" As the match resumed, Red struck first.
"ROOOAAAR—!"
At his command, Dragonite shot up high into the air, unleashing a torrent of searing flames straight down at Buzzwole.
Fire beats Bug.
If that hit, it would deal massive damage.
But just before the flames landed, Buzzwole blurred into an afterimage and vanished. Its speed was incredible—Agility!
"Zing, zing, zing!"
Buzzwole zipped across the field, leaving a trail of red afterimages in the air, darting unpredictably toward Dragonite.
"So fast…"
Red's brow furrowed. With his razor-sharp mind, he opened his Mind's Eye.
Once opened, his perception rivaled that of an Aura Guardian, his focus as precise as a machine.
He could lock onto Buzzwole's movements again and again, his eyes flicking at impossible speed.
But Dragonite had not opened the Mind's Eye.
Though they were deeply bonded, Dragonite's reaction lagged a step behind.
"Buzzwole, Power-Up Punch!"
At Yozora's command, Buzzwole burst forward in a flash of crimson light. In an instant, it was right in front of Dragonite. With a booming fist, it slammed into Dragonite's cheek, forcing the massive dragon to stagger half a step back, its body briefly stiffening.
[Buzzwole]: Elite-level beginner, Tier 2 Legendary potential.
[Dragonite]: Elite-level beginner, Champion potential.
Though they stood at the same level, their qualifications were not the same. In sheer power and speed, Buzzwole firmly suppressed Dragonite.
Especially since Yozora's Buzzwole had the Ability: Huge Power—its strength was doubled, far beyond an ordinary Buzzwole.
After knocking Dragonite back, Buzzwole launched a relentless barrage. Its fists hammered like machine guns, pummeling Dragonite again and again.
"BAM! BAM! BAM!"
And this was Power-Up Punch.
Every time it landed, Buzzwole's Attack rose a stage—thirty percent stronger each time.
Under this chain of blows, its strength kept skyrocketing, until it doubled outright.
And with each increase, every punch landed heavier than the last.
"ROAR—! ROOOOAR—!"
Dragonite howled as the punches tore through its scales, shredding its body with brutal force. Finally, with a thunderous smash, it was sent flying, crashing into the ground like a fired cannonball.
"BOOM!"
The impact blasted a crater into the arena floor, dust and smoke surging upward.
The entire stadium was stunned.
Though the host had warned them that Buzzwole possessed power rivaling Legends, none of them had expected this much power—power so overwhelming it seemed almost unreal.
(End of Chapter)