Chapter 96 Magnemite, it's got the nail hand!
"As expected of Steven."
"His strength is much stronger than I expected."
Bai Yu noticed Ferrothorn's condition through the smoke.
Ferrothorn's defense is outstanding, and Metagross used Comet Punch, so being able to withstand that attack was within Bai Yu's expectations.
Steven's displayed combat power, just looking at that shiny Metagross, is no less than Lance's Dragonite from before. Defeating that Metagross through normal means would take some effort.
Of course, defeating it head-on wouldn't be difficult either.
When defeating Metagross, one also needs to consider Steven's other main forces after Metagross.
This includes Pokémon like Aggron.
In the first round of combat, Steven, as the champion, naturally had an absolute advantage.
Steven's heart wasn't as calm as it appeared on the surface.
"The Kanto Region Gym Leaders are all this strong?"
Steven was slightly stunned. This strength had exceeded Steven's understanding of the strength of Gym Leaders.
To withstand a Comet Punch undefeated, one must be at least at the Elite Four level. Moreover, that Nutbell is in exceptional condition, a top performer even among Elite Four members.
Such a being, serving as a mere Gym Leader? The Kanto Region is far too frivolous.
Has the Kanto Region grown to the point where even Gym Leaders possess Elite Four-level strength?
Impossible, absolutely impossible! Daigo thought about how he had spent so much time searching for a suitable Elite Four member to serve as the Hoenn Elite Four member.
And this person before him was an Elite Four member, yet served as the Kanto Region Gym Leader.
All that time he had spent felt like torture.
If he had known there were Elite Four members in the Kanto Gyms, he would have come to Kanto Region long ago to invite one back to serve as Elite Four member.
Of course, this was just Daigo's internal thought. In Daigo's opinion, the level of the Kanto Gyms was probably not as strong as what he saw before him; the Gym Leader was just an exception.
"Brother Mao, you can't beat this opponent. Leave it to me. I'll definitely defeat his impenetrable defenses head-on."
Looking at the familiar Ferrothorn, Qinglv recalled the battle between Xiao Shi and Bai Yu.
In that battle, Xiao Shi was tormented by Seed Ball for a long time.
"Sprinkle Spikes."
Bai Yu disliked variables.
Spikes dealt significant damage to Steel-type Pokémon, and with Stealth Rock, it would generate far more damage, at least guaranteeing an advantage on the field.
Even if the opponent wanted to clear the field, they would need to send out that Pokémon, and by the time Daigo used that Pokémon, they would be trapped.
Defeating Daigo in the game wasn't just about Pokémon like Swampert.
Ferrothorn shook its body and then released a cluster of pyramid-shaped spikes, which quickly disappeared into the ground.
Compared to Stealth Rock, the spikes disappeared much faster, and once inside the ground, they were difficult to see unless you were very close. This was the advantage of Spikes – they were not easily detected.
"Spike-Cut, Stealth Rock, I didn't expect you to be so cunning."
Daigo's lips twitched. Who taught him such a straightforward move?
In terms of strength, his Pokémon were indeed stronger than his opponent's, but once he switched Pokémon and stepped on these terrain moves, even a Champion-level Pokémon wouldn't fare well.
"Come back, Metagross."
Daigo also wanted to see how strong Bai Yu was.
He was already prepared to invite Bai Yu, but he still needed to test him first to see if Bai Yu was at the Elite Four level and whether the six Pokémon he used met the standards of the Hoenn League.
"Recalling your Pokémon?" Bai Yu was taken aback at first, then smiled.
It seemed that Daigo couldn't sit still any longer.
"Sprinkle Spikes."
Bai Yu didn't care which Pokémon Daigo used to clear Spikes.
No matter what Pokémon he sent out, they couldn't avoid it and would get hit by Spikes.
Not to mention that Daigo's Pokémon's main type was either Steel or Rock.
And in Bai Yu's mind, there was only one Pokémon that could clear Spikes and was also Steel-type.
Of course, in the game, the Spikes setter Daigo used wouldn't be the one Bai Yu was thinking of.
But as the Steel-type Champion,
he would probably carry a Spikes setter and be responsible for clearing Spikes.
So there was only one Steel-type Pokémon left.
Bug/Steel Forretress! "Go, Forretress."
Daigo took out a Poké Ball and threw it forward.
A flash of white light, and a Pokémon with a pink shell covered in uneven grooves, with exceptionally wise-looking eyes, appeared before everyone, looking rather silly.
The moment Forretress appeared, the spikes on the ground embedded themselves deeply into her body. A flicker of pain crossed Forretress's intelligent eyes. The next second, the spikes flew out in droves, crashing down on Forretress.
Forretress never dreamed that her appearance would be met with such a barrage of attacks.
Fortunately, both Spikes and Stealth Rock dealt damage based on a percentage.
When the smoke cleared, Forretress was covered in dust, but she wasn't actually seriously injured.
"High-Speed Spin."
"Come back, Ferrothorn."
Forretress's entire body embedded itself in her shell, spinning rapidly.
She moved forward at incredible speed, clinging tightly to the ground.
The spikes and rocks on the ground were propelled by this force, transforming into streaks of brown light that slowly vanished. Forretress intended to attack Ferrothorn,
but Ferrothorn had already been captured by White Feather and stored in its Poké Ball.
Forretress sighed helplessly, cleared the area, and returned to Steven's side.
The field returned to normal, leaving only Forretress on the field.
"Hmm?"
Just as Daigo was wondering,
Bai Yu threw out his Poké Ball.
A flash of white light appeared, and a steel-like Pokémon floated on the field, its hands bearing magnets, its middle eye staring blankly ahead.
Daigo recognized this Pokémon.
Magneton.
"Magneton? Using a Steel-type Pokémon against a Steel-type Champion..."
Qing Lv was a little confused. Why use Magneton at this moment?
Could Magneton possibly be able to deal with Forretress?
"A counterattack."
As the Steel-type Champion, Daigo also had a Magneton.
He knew Magneton's characteristics better than anyone, one of its most unique being its magnetism.
When it entered the field, it could prevent any Steel-type Pokémon except those with the Ghost type from leaving.
In other words, his Forretress could only stand on the field and passively take hits.
"Champion Daigo, as long as my entry hazard setter lives, and your entry hazard remover dies, the advantage will always be on my side."
Bai Yu gazed at Daigo, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Entry hazard removers, with very few exceptions, are mostly Steel-type. This is
because Steel-type Pokémon have excellent inherent resistances, and they can also be used to set up Spikes while removing entry hazards. The most representative examples are Forretress, Skarmory, and Chiplock.
Chiplock is even considered the best entry hazard setter among Steel-types.
It must be said that Steel and Poison types are truly uniquely advantageous, especially Steel, which can form a perfect resistance chain when combined with any type, a feat that Poison types cannot match. "Holy crap... there's even this kind of strategy."
Qinglv's eyes widened as he pulled out his Pokédex, flipping through Magneton's information and also checking Forretress's.
After reading the data, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
The Magnet ability was simply perfect for countering Stealth Pokémon.
Ferrothorn seemed to be a Steel-type as well, so he could use a Magneton-type Pokémon to counter Bai Yu's lineup, besides Magneton, there was also Alola's Golem.
Instead of getting an Alola Pokémon from his grandfather, it would be better to raise a Magnemite. Magnemite could evolve into Magneton without many items, just time.
"Unfortunately, Magneton also has its weaknesses."
Bai Yu looked at the Forretress. Dealing with Forretress was naturally easy.
Magneton's weakness was also obvious: it lacked any boosting moves.
The only move that could boost its defenses was Charge Beam; the rest of its moves only raised its defenses, weren't very effective against Magneton.
Magneton wouldn't provoke such attacks and couldn't stop Forretress from using Spikes. Furthermore, Steven's Pokémon were all Steel and Rock types, so the sandstorm had little effect on them.
However, dealing with a small Forretress was a piece of cake.
"Thunderbolt!"
"Spiked Spikes."
Forretress's only option now was to use Spikes.
Steven could only watch helplessly as Magneton unleashed its power. Forretress swayed, throwing numerous diamond-shaped stones from its hole, which embedded themselves in the ground.
An arc of electricity surged from Magneton's body, crackling loudly in the air.
Steven tried to use Protect to block the attack.
Thunderbolt was fast; Magneton was no less powerful than the previous Ferrothorn. With a flash of electricity, it struck Forretress fiercely.
Forretress's defense was quite impressive, able to withstand many close-range attacks.
However, dealing with special attack-type moves is harder than expected.
Not to mention, Forretress took damage from Spikes and Stealth Rock when it entered the battle.
This is the price to pay for clearing Spikes.
Skarmory's only weakness is its inability to clear Spikes; otherwise, Steven wouldn't have chosen to bring Forretress.
Forretress's dull eyes showed a pained expression as lightning relentlessly struck its body.
Even if Forretress managed to withstand the damage, it couldn't continue fighting, collapsing helplessly to the ground, its eyes glazed and unable to battle.
"That Forretress doesn't seem to be Champion-level."
Bai Yu raised an eyebrow. Champion-level Pokémon take considerable damage from Stealth Rock and Spikes, and shouldn't be unable to withstand a Thunderbolt.
That Forretress only seems to be Champion-level.
Could it be that, apart from Metagross, all the other Pokémon Steven has are Champion-level?
But then again…
he's only in the Kanto Region; who knows if he's just traveling? He can't possibly take all his main Pokémon everywhere he goes. Even when Bai Yu left Macha City, he only took three of his main Pokémon.
"Forretress is unable to battle!"
The referee, standing to the side, ran up and shouted.
He almost couldn't process what he'd just seen. His own Gym Leader had actually defeated the Champion! Even if it was due to some tactical maneuver, that alone was something he could brag about for a lifetime.
And that was Steven, the Hoenn League Champion.
"I underestimated you,"
Steven said with a smile, recalling Forretress in a Poké Ball.
Whether it was Ferrothorn or Magneton, in terms of Steel-type Pokémon mastery, Steven hadn't seen anyone else in the Hoenn region besides himself who could train them to this level.
The Hoenn League… the Steel-type Elite Four member, that's quite interesting.
The League Champion uses Steel-type Pokémon, and the Elite Four member also uses Steel-types; there's no conflict between them. Steven's mind was now filled with the idea of inviting them.
He had lost all interest in continuing the match.
"Let's end this match here."
"I've already seen the strength of this gym."
Daigo thought to himself, and decided not to send out any more Pokémon, saying with a smile.
Magneton didn't object much; it was Bai Yu's longest-serving Pokémon, never fighting or competing, which was also the reason why its predecessor lost so decisively after inheriting the gym. Just
as Bai Yu was about to agree, a Poké Ball jumped out of his waist.
It landed on the ground with a roar, a massive body appeared on the field, its blue body showing a hint of dissatisfaction in its eyes.
Inside the Poké Ball, the match could be observed in real time.
Swampert had been waiting inside the Poké Ball for a very long time. It had wanted to come out and have a good fight after dealing with Metagross.
The opponent in front of it also felt strangely familiar to Swampert.
It seemed to have fought it somewhere before; it had that annoying silver appearance, and that wretched Pokémon could even transform during the match.
"Swampert…a Hoenn starter."
Daigo was stunned at first, then walked up in disbelief, looking at the Swampert before him again.
As the Champion, he couldn't be mistaken.
The Swampert before him couldn't possibly be a Ditto in disguise.
Ditto's transformation occurs after it enters the battle.
There's a rumor of a phantom-like Pokémon that can change its appearance upon entering the battle, but that Pokémon has limitations; it requires the Pokémon being held in its hand.
Compared to the thoughts in Daigo's mind, he was more convinced that the Swampert before him was real.
"Roar~"
Swampert let out a muffled roar, its tone filled with dissatisfaction.
The next second, another Poké Ball fell from Bai Yu's waist.
Silver-white armor covered its entire body, its massive form resembling a monster.
"Aggron? Another Steel-type Pokémon."
As an expert on Steel-type Pokémon, he was particularly sensitive to them. Both Pokémon before him came from the same place: the Hoenn region.
"Are you a trainer who immigrated from the Hoenn region?"
Daigo blurted out instinctively.
Besides this explanation, Daigo couldn't find any other.
The Hoenn starter Pokémon can only be caught by trainers traveling from the Hoenn region.
Of course, trainers traveling from the Kalos region can also choose starter Pokémon from other regions.
However… these two Pokémon have never appeared in the Kanto Region, and the previous Ferrothorn was from the Unova region.
To put it bluntly, these Pokémon couldn't possibly be in the hands of a mere Gym Leader in the Kanto Region.
At least in Daigo's understanding, how could a Gym Leader possess such Pokémon, and raise them to be so powerful, each at the Champion level, especially Swampert and Aggron, whose auras subtly hinted at Champion level?
"Champion Daigo is joking. I'm just a small Gym Leader in the Kanto Region."
"How could I possibly immigrate from the Hoenn region?"
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(End of this chapter)