Yuji's Onix was entirely made of gray rocks, whereas Ash's Onix was completely forged from icy white crystal. If Yuji's Onix seemed like it was casually pieced together by the heavens using random rocks, then Ash's Onix was meticulously crafted by the heavens, with countless effort and patience involved in its creation.
The appearance of the Crystal Onix sparked another wave of astonishment throughout the audience.
"What kind of Pokemon is this? Onix? Why does its entire body look like crystal!"
"Wow, this Onix looks way too stunning, although saying this might be unfair to Chief Yuji, Yuji's Onix doesn't seem on the same level as Ash's!"
"Indeed, let alone the strength, in terms of appearance, Ash's Onix already has an advantage over Chief Yuji! What did Ash just say? Crystal Onix? It indeed has crystal in its name!"
"What a fitting name! I wonder if it's just a color difference or if its entire body is really made of crystal. If it's all crystal, cutting a piece would mean hitting a treasure trove."
"Honestly, Onix's rocks are renewable resources, and their hardness increases as their power grows. If Ash's Crystal Onix has the same mechanism, collecting scraps alone could lead to financial freedom!"
"..."
Undoubtedly, the Crystal Onix's appearance stirred high discussion; such a dramatic contrast to the ordinary Onix was making its debut in public view for the first time.
Typically, the color of a shiny Pokémon is fixed, like Ralts whose shiny version has blue hair, while Onix's shiny version is golden. Ash's Onix evidently wasn't shiny; it seemed more like a variant.
It was uncertain whether this form of Onix was unique or if it was a regional variant from another area…
Yuji was slightly taken aback by Crystal Onix's looks but quickly collected himself, praising the Crystal Onix, "What a beautiful Onix! Compared to yours, mine simply looks like a flimsy knock-off… But in Pokémon battles, beauty isn't where the focus lies; ultimately, strength speaks volumes!"
"I think the same. Crystal Onix, get ready; this is your first battle, so let's work together and give it our all!" Ash exclaimed, closing his eyes softly.
Immediately, deep blue Aura Power emerged from Ash, gradually infusing into the Crystal Onix.
'Aura resides in my heart.'
"Roar!!" The Crystal Onix, receiving immense power, let out a skyward bellow. It wasn't the first time it received this strength but was the first to use it in an actual battle.
When Ash first captured the Crystal Onix, its strength was only at the Advanced Junior Level. Although it reached the Advanced Peak level with training, it still wasn't qualified to battle in such a high-level arena.
The opposition's Onix was Professional Level, requiring external techniques even to qualify for competing against it.
Through this period of nurturing, Ash and the Crystal Onix developed sufficient mutual understanding. Except for the day when battling a Legendary Beast, the Crystal Onix was always by Ash's side, diligently training day and night.
Thanks to Ash's culinary skills and Pallet Town's approach to Pokemon, he quickly elevated the closeness with the Crystal Onix.
Just yesterday, Ash attempted to perform an Aura Link with the Crystal Onix, and surprisingly succeeded on the first try; this was one reason Ash decided to have the Crystal Onix appear today.
If the Aura Link hadn't succeeded, Ash wouldn't have brought Crystal Onix, despite his desire to have it appear in official tournaments.
Disparity in strength would make the battle devoid of suspense.
But now, the situation had changed. With the Aura Link completed, the Crystal Onix's strength surged to Elite Peak. Though still not matching the opponent's Professional Level, the gap was no longer insurmountable.
"What's happening? That Onix seems to have suddenly boosted its strength; is it a trick of my mind…" Yuji slightly furrowed his brow. Although the battle hadn't commenced, he clearly sensed a shift in Crystal Onix's aura since Ash closed his eyes.
This intuition comes from a seasoned Trainer and is generally accurate.
"Crystal Onix, use Ice Beam!" Receiving instructions after the Aura Link, Ash confidently initiated the attack.
Ice-blue light gathered in Crystal Onix's mouth. Yuji suppressed his doubts and decisively ordered, "Onix, use Dig to dodge!"
"Roar!" Onix slightly lifted its head and swiftly dug into the solid rocky terrain, creating a large hole as it quickly burrowed, though the speed of Crystal Onix's Ice Beam surprised Yuji.
The ice-blue light sliced through the air, seemingly freezing even the air, and narrowly hit the Onix's tail, causing damage despite missing a direct hit.
"Such a fast Ice Beam… As I thought, Ash's Crystal Onix isn't just different in appearance and name; its attributes must be distinct as well, at least possessing an ice type." Yuji analyzed the Crystal Onix's traits following their encounter.
Ordinarily, Onix couldn't use Ice Beam, so when Crystal Onix executed it swiftly, it suggested Ice Beam as a native move for it.
This meant that Crystal Onix was at least partially ice-type.
In Pokémon battles, information is severely critical.
"Crystal Onix, locate your opponent and use Iron Tail!" Ash's voice commanded once more, though Yuji found the directive confusing.
Find Onix's position and use Iron Tail? How do you plan to find it?
Onix is underground; unless you enter through the hole, how can you locate Onix underground?
"Roar!!" The confidence-filled roar from Crystal Onix was in reply to Ash, closing its eyes and employing the mysterious energy within to pinpoint Onix's location.
Though Onix was hidden underground, its trail was entirely revealed through the Aura Power's sensing!
A few seconds later, the Crystal Onix's tail took on a metallic sheen, then it began moving its agile body across the arena, despite the appearance of being bulky, it moved swiftly.
Soon, Crystal Onix approached the frozen pool in the center of the field and fiercely slammed down with its Steel Tail!
The solid ground cracked with numerous fissures, and within a split-second, the rocky terrain shattered, sending destructive force downward where a chilling growl emerged!
Yuji's expression dramatically shifted; the noise unmistakably belonged to his Onix. But how did the opponent manage this? Even though Onix continually burrowed through the earth below, they suddenly pinpointed its location.
Could Crystal Onix possess x-ray vision?!
Under Crystal Onix's barrage, Onix couldn't withstand the vibrations and burst out from beneath the earth.
At present, Onix appeared to suffer considerable injuries.
Despite being the higher-leveled party, from the opening to now, it was perpetually restricted, never even touching the opponent, and it was instead beaten into a sorry state, does this even make sense?!