"This doesn't count! My Walrein must have had an upset stomach this morning," Daralon shouted loudly. "And the referee hasn't even started the fight yet!"
John didn't care, but the referee robot seemed to have already reached its decision.
"Objection overruled."
"After a Pokemon is selected by the trainer and appears, the Pokemon's battle condition is determined to be the trainer's responsibility. Trainers cannot withdraw for reasons such as dietary issues."
"Additionally, trainer John's Arcanine has activated its Intimidate ability, and the battle is deemed to have commenced."
"Now announcing the match results accordingly."
"Walrein loses battle capability. Arcanine wins. Trainer Daralon's available Pokemon count: 1. Please release your next Pokemon immediately." The referee machine seemed programmed with pursuit of absolute fairness and impartial judging.
Naturally, Daralon wouldn't argue with a robot, but instead turned his attention to Christina, requesting an explanation.
Christina spread her hands helplessly.
"The referee robot strictly adheres to officiating rules. Unless referee error results from equipment damage, even complaints to headquarters' president would yield identical results."
Although she couldn't comprehend how Daralon's Walrein lost the moment it appeared, the referee robot had announced its decision. All she could do was accept the match outcome.
"This..." Daralon gritted his teeth and reluctantly accepted the situation.
Looking back, Daralon studied John and Arcanine with focused intensity.
Only one Pokemon remained, just one more.
As long as one of his Pokemon proved strong enough, he could learn more about John's capabilities.
With this resolve, Daralon retrieved Walrein's Pokeball and threw another.
The Pokeball opened mid-air, and as silver light flashed, a Garchomp appeared boldly.
ROAAAAR!
Garchomp waved its claws menacingly, seemingly determined to reclaim the dignity its teammate had lost.
You dare roar at me?
WOOF!
Arcanine naturally wouldn't be outdone.
The overwhelming presence erupted again!
Pressure as thick as mountains, as vast as oceans, suddenly descended upon Garchomp's body.
Garchomp froze immediately, its eyes involuntarily widening. It felt like carrying a massive mountain on its back, unable to take a single step forward.
However, Garchomp was obviously stronger than Walrein and wouldn't be directly felled by this pressure.
As a trainer, Daralon quickly noticed something amiss.
He immediately revealed the pendant on his chest, which bore a Key Stone.
Colorful light burst forth, surrounding Garchomp.
A connection bridge formed between human and Pokemon, linking their hearts.
This time, Daralon felt like he was carrying a mountain himself.
Although Mega Evolution didn't share injuries like Bond Evolution, its essence remained bonding, allowing him to sense his Pokemon's condition.
Daralon couldn't help but look up at Arcanine, his eyes filled with shock. He now understood how Walrein had lost.
"Is this really Arcanine's Intimidate?"
The overwhelming aura emanating from Arcanine's body left him breathless.
Conversely, after Garchomp evolved into Mega Garchomp, it could at least move under the immense pressure.
The referee robot confirmed both sides were ready and announced immediately:
"Battle begins!"
"Arcanine, Flare Blitz!" John opened with his finishing move.
Following orders, Arcanine charged forward ferociously. The moment it took its first step, its entire body wrapped in blazing flames. Faint electrical currents flowed across the flame's surface, causing its lethality to skyrocket!
Flare Blitz was a move where successful attacks on opponents also inflicted partial self-damage. Simply put: trading damage for damage.
Facing a Garchomp suppressed by overwhelming dominance, John could have chosen safer tactics, but he wouldn't!
Arcanine fought with magnificent momentum!
"Dragon Rush!" Daralon commanded weakly.
Mega Garchomp immediately lifted its legs and stomped the ground, attempting to break free from bodily restraints.
Gritting its teeth and charging forward, its entire body bathed in dark green draconic energy like a heavy cannon firing ahead.
But after running only a few meters, Arcanine was already racing madly toward it.
BOOM!
They collided, immediately causing an explosion.
In battles of this caliber, explosions were inevitable when energies clashed. However, Garchomp's performance couldn't match Arcanine's.
With just one encounter, the dark green energy dissipated, and Mega Garchomp was directly blasted away.
"Arcanine, again! Flare Blitz!"
Since the technique also incorporated Flame Charge into its running method, it gained speed-boosting effects.
John issued no additional instructions because he trusted Arcanine could handle things independently.
"Arcanine!" Arcanine accelerated again, running even faster than before!
Mega Garchomp struggled to its feet and spat a dark green orb of light skyward.
"Draco Meteor!" Daralon commanded loudly. By now, he'd completely abandoned hopes of victory. All he wanted was to avoid losing too embarrassingly.
The orb exploded mid-air, immediately raining dozens of dark green meteors from the sky. The battlefield resembled a meteor shower.
Arcanine didn't disappoint John's faith. Its robust body demonstrated unexpected agility. Even while executing explosive impact moves like Flare Blitz, it could perfectly control its movements and dodge the meteor bombardment with ease and grace.
But it didn't matter, if one attack didn't work, two would suffice.
BOOM!
Finally, Arcanine struck Mega Garchomp squarely in the chest.
Fortunately, Mega Garchomp retained its fighting ability.
It plowed a deep furrow in the ground before hitting the battlefield's barrier and stopping.
However, when Arcanine happily turned around seeking John's approval, Mega Garchomp had already ended its Mega Evolution and collapsed helplessly to the ground.
"Still not down?" John had expected a one-hit knockout. Apparently, because Garchomp was Dragon-type, it resisted Fire-type attacks and wasn't instantly defeated.
The referee robot decisively announced the final result:
"Garchomp loses battle capability. Arcanine wins. Trainer Daralon has no available Pokemon remaining. Final victor: John!"