Amid a roar of cheers like mountains and seas.
Lance and Hala stood on opposite sides of the field.
Hala was all smiles, looking a bit clumsy and endearing.
Although Hala was the King of Islands of Melemele Island, he didn't have the slightest air of a superior, instead he seemed very amicable.
At the referee's signal, the two of them summoned their first Pokémon respectively.
Boom—!!
With heavy footsteps, what appeared before Hala was a Poliwrath, a Water Type and Fighting Type Pokémon.
And along with a flash of red light.
What appeared in front of Lance was a vicious-looking, ferocious Gyarados.
"Rooaar—!!"
A deafening roar, the terrifying aura made the Poliwrath opposite him catch its breath for a moment.
The "Intimidation" trait was triggered.
It even made the whole stadium fall silent like cicadas in winter.
But moments later, a wave of cheers exploded.
For a Fighting-type Pokémon, the impact brought by the "Intimidation" trait was no small thing.
It seemed Lance's preparation was quite thorough.
And just from typing alone, Poliwrath up against Gyarados was at a clear disadvantage.
"Gyarados, Dragon Dance!"
Lance took the initiative to strike first.
"Rooaar—!!"
Gyarados howled at the sky, its aura climbing back up to the peak, the entire field shuddering violently from Gyarados's twisting body.
"Lance's first choice is to have Gyarados power itself up. If the boost succeeds, his already large advantage will become overwhelming!"
"Poliwrath, Suicide Rush!"
Hala wasn't flustered either, commanding calmly and steadily.
Relying on the speed and power of "Suicide Rush," Poliwrath not only closed in rapidly on Gyarados, but also brought it considerable psychological pressure, trying to force Gyarados, out of fear of being hit, to fail to focus on enhancing itself.
But obviously, this kind of tactic might work against other Trainers, yet for Lance and Gyarados, it didn't have much effect.
"Bounce! Now!"
Seeing Poliwrath closing in, Lance gave his next order the instant he saw Gyarados finish its Dragon Dance.
Bang!!
Gyarados's tail slammed hard onto the ground, sending its whole body shooting skyward.
It dodged Poliwrath's all-or-nothing charge.
Seeing this, Hala couldn't help baring his teeth in a grin, secretly shaking his head.
Just this confidence and command alone made Hala realize Lance was not comparable to those snot-nosed kids he'd faced before.
Hala clenched his fist, his gaze suddenly changing, sharp as a combat knife.
Gyarados, having leapt into the air, rapidly ascended, and once it reached a certain height, it came crashing down.
"Poliwrath, grab it! Hell Roll!"
Gyarados's tail and Poliwrath's fist collided, unleashing a terrifying shockwave.
But while Poliwrath took the hit, its body lowered under the weight, actually managing to brace against Gyarados's massive bulk.
Immediately after.
Its eyes narrowed, its expression shifted sharply.
It reversed its grip to seize Gyarados's tail, its bent body tightening like a drawn bow, then sprang.
The harder it had been pressed down, the stronger the rebound; clutching Gyarados, it turned into a rolling wheel, continuously Rolling along the ground.
With every impact against the floor, Poliwrath used Gyarados's body as a meat cushion.
"Here it is!! One of our King of Islands Hala's signature techniques, Hell Roll!!"
In Natsuhiko's eyes, this was pretty much the same as the "Invincible Wind-Fire Wheel."
"Break free! Gyarados, Climbing Waterfall!"
A thick, surging torrent burst from Gyarados's side, the azure Gyarados erupting with overwhelming power.
The raging water tore free of Poliwrath's grip.
"Counterattack! Gyarados, Shatter!"
"Rooaar—!!"
Breaking free from Poliwrath, Gyarados twisted back and sank its jaws into Poliwrath's body.
Poliwrath cried out in pain.
"Poliwrath, Bursting Fist!" Hala spread his stance.
Poliwrath gritted its teeth against the agony of Gyarados's terrifying jaws, and swung a punch back at Gyarados.
At such close range, Bursting Fist's hit rate soared straight up.
And the technique effect of Bursting Fist carried a high chance of inflicting "confusion" on Gyarados.
Once it fell into "confusion," Poliwrath would undoubtedly seize the opening to launch a fierce counterattack.
It wasn't even impossible to finish the match in one sequence.
"Storm!!"
But Lance remained equally composed.
The fins and scales on Gyarados's body rippled, bright white air currents spiraling upward, a fearsome tornado climbing skyward.
The explosive burst of air not only formed a shield around Gyarados, but also dealt considerable damage to Poliwrath.
Boom!!
Poliwrath crashed to the ground, razor-sharp currents leaving countless tiny cuts all over its body.
"Outstanding effect! What incredible destructive power! Gyarados's one 'Storm' completely seals the victory—Poliwrath has lost the ability to battle!"
Whooosh—!!
The whole crowd erupted in cheers.
The bout had ended quickly, but the fight itself was spectacular.
Nothing was more exhilarating than the visceral thrill of blows landing solidly flesh-on-flesh.
"Hahaha—truly impressive, this Gyarados's battle experience is remarkably rich."
With one Pokémon down, Hala didn't feel the slightest bit dejected; instead, he was genuinely happy, heartily praising them.
"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Hala. Come back, Gyarados."
As Lance thanked Hala, he simultaneously recalled Gyarados.
"Contestant Lance has recalled Gyarados?!"