In the Pokémon world, there are two Ghost Dragons: one unreachable, and the other… also unreachable.
And when Morty released Dragapult, Sato couldn't help but exclaim in shock.
"Wher… where the hell did he get that?!!!"
Dragapult: Dragon/Ghost type, the only pseudo-legendary from the Galar region. It boasts extremely high Speed and both offensive stats, and has a signature move, Dragon Darts.
Dragon Darts can fire two consecutive Dreepy. Not only do they reliably hit, but their power rivals that of Fire Blast!
But Sato remembered clearly. Because of the widespread use of Dynamax energy, Galar's overall strength was terrifying.
The Pokémon League had spent an immense amount of effort to bring Galar under control, and only after many years had they finally "succeeded".
Before that, Galar was highly isolationist, let alone the idea of catching a pseudo-legendary there!
Off the field, most people had no idea what Dragapult even was. They just thought the floating lizard looked cool, stylish… and a little cute~
Soon, a staff member ran up to Morty and asked a couple of questions in a low voice before announcing Dragapult's name through the microphone.
On the other side, the referee gave an almost unnoticeable nod, then looked at Sato with an all-knowing expression.
"Contestant Sato, please send out your battling Pokémon."
"..."
Sato felt completely speechless. Now they wanted to hurry him up?
But seeing that Morty had sent out such a completely unexpected Pokémon, Sato genuinely hesitated for two seconds.
Dragapult… he wasn't familiar with it either.
It wasn't until the referee looked ready to give a second reminder that Sato finally decided which Pokémon to send…
"Hydreigon, give it everything you've got!"
"HY!"
"DREEEEI~"
"GOOOON..."
Three distinct voices rang out at once, but Sato could easily tell which one came from which head.
And so, two pseudo-legendaries from outside the Johto Region faced off in the very first match of the Elite Four Tournament!
"Now, the battle continues!"
"Dragapult, Sucker Punch!"
The moment the referee spoke, Morty couldn't wait to issue his command, and Dragapult vanished in the blink of an eye.
In the next moment, Dragapult had already appeared beside Hydreigon, its transparent tail whipping hard toward Lefty's neck.
Sato didn't speak a command aloud, but Morty still gave his order without hesitation.
He was gambling…
Gambling that Sato would, like before, issue commands through other means.
And this time…
His prediction was correct!
Through synchronized resonance, Sato had already issued the triple-command combo: Dragon Breath, Dark Pulse, and Dragon Pulse; all at once, a full chained sequence.
But Dragapult was too fast! So fast that Sato didn't even have time to let Hydreigon adjust its moves.
Smack!
Sucker Punch landed, and Lefty's neck bent unnaturally under the blow. A devastating strike in one hit.
"H-Hy…!"
It hurt so much it couldn't even cry out!
"GOOON!"
"DREEEEI~!"
On the other side, Righty and Middy, feeling the pain through their link, erupted with fury. Without thinking, they instinctively merged the Dark Pulse and Dragon Pulse they hadn't yet launched, and hurled the combined energy straight at Dragapult.
Sensing a massive threat, Dragapult instantly rocketed backward at incredible speed!
But the merged Dark Pulse and Dragon Pulse detonated almost the moment they completed.
Dragon: the most domineering type.
Dark: the most destructive type.
How could the two possibly fuse?
And yet, Hydreigon's Pulse Combo move was exactly that. A carefully mixed ratio of Dark-type and Dragon-type energy, creating the most powerful possible explosion.
Explosions never distinguish between friend and foe…
Triggering such a move at close range was guaranteed to severely injure Hydreigon as well.
But at the very least, no matter how fast Dragapult was…
It. Couldn't. Escape!
BOOOOOOOM...…!
With a thunderous blast, the entire battlefield trembled.
A glowing green barrier instantly separated the arena from the audience stands, shielding spectators from the impact.
Upon closer inspection, a full circle of Forretress had appeared around the edge of the battlefield, standing spike in spike to generate a combined Protect energy shield.
The Protects fused together, expanding infinitely, blocking every trace of the battlefield's shockwaves.
Still, that didn't stop the audience from showing their shock.
As the giant Protect "dome" slowly faded, thick smoke and dust spread everywhere.
A large flock of Flying-type Pokémon soon appeared in the sky above the arena, all using Defog at once.
In moments, the battlefield reappeared before everyone's eyes; followed immediately by collective gasps of disbelief…
The entire battlefield looked like it had been struck by a meteor, a massive circular crater carved into the ground, smooth and clean like it had been intentionally dug out.
Lying quietly in the center of the crater were two Pokémon.
Hydreigon was gasping heavily, only Righty managing to keep its head raised, one drooping eye locked tightly on Dragapult.
As for Dragapult…
Defense had always been its weakness; let alone when the Pulse Combo's two types were both effective against it.
An attack so terrifying that even Hydreigon had barely endured it… there was no way a Pokémon of equal level like Dragapult could survive it.
Shua… 🚩
"Dragapult has lost the ability to battle. Hydreigon is victorious. As Contestant Morty's three Pokémon have all been defeated, the winner of the first match of the first round of the Elite Four Tournament is… YUGA SATO!"
That… was it?
The crowd listened to the referee's announcement but couldn't believe it ended so quickly.
But then again, thinking back to the sheer scale of that explosion…
It kind of made sense.
Still, why did it feel like they didn't get their money's worth…?
Straight to the climax from the very start; who could handle that!
But the Elite Four Tournament wasn't a public exhibition match. There was no need for flashy excitement or applause.
Victory was all that mattered.
On the battlefield, Sato and Morty recalled their Pokémon. The two locked eyes, then silently turned and walked quickly out of the Trainer tunnel, heading straight for the Pokémon Center.
Whether it was Dragapult or Hydreigon, both had taken heavy damage; neither was fit to return to battle anytime soon.
After handing Hydreigon over to Nurse Joy, Sato sat on a bench in the corridor, waiting as he mentally replayed the battle just now.
Hydreigon managing to win in the end? It wasn't just about type advantage. Luck had played a big role too.
Dragapult had been overly confident in its Speed. Even when it sensed an extreme threat, its first instinct was to dodge, not to use Protect or Substitute or any defensive move.
But if that had been the case, Hydreigon would've been hit by its own attack.
This battle had rung a warning bell for Sato. Even with a type advantage, the victory had been this difficult.
And the opponents from here on out… would only be stronger!