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In the VIP box, Sidney lost his composure, gripping the railing in front of him, leaning forward as if trying to see more clearly.
Drake's perpetually serious face finally cracked into a wide grin, revealing his white teeth, nodding with satisfaction.
In front of the television.
"Clatter."
The young man's mouth couldn't stop curling upward. He looked at his friend beside him, whose gloating expression had frozen solid.
And the young man who had been mocked was now slowly, oh so slowly, straightening his back.
He didn't look at his friend, just stared fixedly at the beast on the screen, his eye sockets slowly turning red.
He didn't say anything, just raised his middle finger at his friend again.
Then, he jumped up abruptly, grabbed his friend by the neck, and shook him wildly:
"Hahahaha! Speak now! Hater! What did you say just now? That Ariel would lose? That you'd lose your shirt? Come on, say it again!"
"I knew it! I knew my idol was hiding a trump card! What is this called? This is called the demeanor of a king!"
...
On the field, the situation was changing rapidly.
Steven's composure faltered for the first time.
He wasn't shocked that Ariel possessed Mega Evolution, but rather shocked that Ariel had managed to hide this secret so deeply, all the way until the final moment of the finals.
This man... his depth was terrifying.
But the shock lasted only an instant. Steven's combat instincts allowed him to calm down immediately, his brain working at high speed.
Mega Gyarados... it was recorded in the database.
Typing...
Water and Dark-type!
Steven's pupils contracted slightly.
Dark-type!
"Metagross! Meteor Mash!"
Steven's voice was decisive and loud, without a hint of hesitation.
A probing first move!
Mega Metagross's massive body turned into a silver meteor, screaming as it tore through the air, crashing toward Mega Gyarados.
Ariel's gaze was calm as water.
"Dodge it, Aqua Tail!"
Mega Gyarados's massive body displayed agility completely at odds with its size. With just a slight twist, it let the Meteor Mash graze its scales, creating a series of harsh metallic screeching sounds.
At the same time, its thick tail, covered in blood-red armor, had already swept out from a tricky angle, carrying with it a torrential wave of water!
Bang—!
A dull thud that made people's hearts tremble.
Aqua Tail struck Mega Metagross squarely in the waist.
Mega Metagross's body, weighing over half a ton, was actually sent flying by this single blow, rolling for over ten meters on the hard field before it forcibly braked with its four thick metal claws, plowing four deep trenches into the ground.
The whole stadium was in an uproar!
A single exchange, and the winner was clear!
Steven's heart sank.
He knew about type effectiveness.
Mega Metagross is Steel-type and Psychic-type, while Mega Gyarados is Water-type and Dark-type.
Steel-type attacks are halved against Water-type!
Even more fatal was that Psychic-type attacks are immune against Dark-type!
This meant that Mega Metagross's proud "Zen Headbutt," "Psychic," and other series of Psychic-type moves were a complete joke in front of this beast!
It had to choose close-quarters combat!
Steven looked at his Mega Metagross, where a clear dent had been left on its silver alloy body.
"Roar!"
Before Steven could adjust his tactics, Mega Gyarados had already lunged again, its gaping maw wide open, dark purple energy glowing between its stark white teeth.
Crunch!
"Iron Defense! Then Hammer Arm!"
Steven shouted urgently.
A metallic barrier instantly condensed in front of Mega Metagross, and at the same time, its two huge claws crossed in front of it to meet the giant mouth that was ready to swallow everything.
Snap—!
A teeth-gritting sound rang out.
The power of Crunch was far beyond Steven's imagination.
The Iron Defense, capable of withstanding cannonballs, was as fragile as glass under Mega Gyarados's sharp teeth.
Immediately after, Hammer Arm and the sharp teeth collided fiercely.
Boom!
The shockwave exploded, blowing so hard people couldn't keep their eyes open.
The two behemoths wrestled in the center of the field, the ground beneath their feet cracking inch by inch, gravel flying everywhere.
Mega Metagross's four claws held firmly against Mega Gyarados's upper and lower jaws, the metal grinding against the fangs, emitting a sharp, piercing noise.
It was... retreating!
A trace of horror finally appeared in Steven's eyes.
His Mega Metagross, level 58, a peak Gym Leader Level existence!
And according to all the intelligence he had gathered before the match, this Gyarados of Ariel's was only level 53!
A five-level suppression!
Plus Mega Metagross's base stat total of 700, compared to Mega Gyarados's 640, this should have been a stomp!
But now, his Pokémon was actually being suppressed in a pure test of strength!
How was this possible?!
Steven re-examined the Gyarados in front of him, and finally, he found the answer!
It was pure size suppression!
This Gyarados in front of him was visually estimated to be over 10 meters long!
Although its massive size would make it easy to be targeted by ranged attacks, it also possessed strength that ordinary Pokémon could never reach!
In terms of close combat... this Mega Gyarados was simply a monster!
After all, with the blessing of this terrifying size, it was almost unbeatable by Pokémon at the same stage!
Steven's heart began to race; a long-lost feeling called "troublesome" spread from the bottom of his heart.
He stared fixedly at Ariel; that man remained calm, as if this thrilling wrestling match between behemoths was just an ordinary battle.
The more it was like this, the more Steven's heart sank.
He realized a terrifying fact.
Whether it was innate advantages or acquired training, this Gyarados of Ariel's... had probably reached a theoretically perfect state!
This Gyarados was born for "violence"!
It had discarded all unnecessary attributes and poured all its resources into offense!
This was a pure, unreasonable killing machine!