Sirfetch'd stared at Metagross not far away from it, its small eyes wide open in disbelief—how had this thing not gone down?
Meteor Assault had completely drained it of all its energy, and the power unleashed should have been enough to threaten even a peak Champion.
It didn't make sense. Hadn't this guy only just reached the Champion tier?
"Meta~"
Metagross quietly stared back at Sirfetch'd, its expression calm,
though if one looked closely, there was the faintest tremor in its right arm.
Julian's face darkened slightly. He was probably the only one who knew that, despite appearing unharmed, Metagross's right arm was now riddled with over a dozen tiny cracks.
If Sirfetch'd's Meteor Assault had been just a bit stronger, Metagross's entire right arm might have been shattered.
That move was downright terrifying.
Sirfetch'd was only at the early-stage Champion level, though it could typically perform at mid- to late-stage Champion strength. Yet, when using Meteor Assault, it posed a threat even to peak Champion-level Pokémon.
No wonder it was a signature move—its destructive power was truly off the charts.
Moreover, Meteor Assault was a move that focused all its power on a single point, making it even more devastating.
If it wasn't for Metagross's naturally monstrous defenses plus the added power boost of Meteor Mash, it might not have been able to block the Meteor Assault at all.
The two Pokémon stood quietly, staring each other down.
The entire stadium went dead silent, and even the live chat paused for a moment.
It was like the calm before the storm.
The next second, thunderous applause erupted.
Everyone had already forgotten the despair they felt when the protective barrier shattered just moments ago. Right now, all they felt was pure excitement—many were clapping so hard their palms turned red.
"Strong, too strong! Sirfetch'd's Meteor Assault was absolutely epic!"
"Julian's Metagross is even stronger—it actually blocked such a terrifying attack!"
"This exhibition match was totally worth watching!"
"That's it—I've decided! I'm going to catch a Farfetch'd and do whatever it takes to evolve it into a Sirfetch'd!"
Thanks to Sirfetch'd's impressive performance, even though it ultimately didn't defeat Metagross, its exclusive move, Meteor Assault, was undeniably cool as hell.
This inspired many trainers to go out and catch a Farfetch'd, dreaming of the day it would evolve into a Sirfetch'd and unleash Meteor Assault.
Even Julian considered catching one himself.
But then he remembered his notoriously bad luck—he couldn't even use Protect twice in row. Catching a Farfetch'd would probably mean it would take ten lifetimes for it to evolve into a Sirfetch'd.
Though it would make a pretty good backup ingredient.
As the final whistle blew, the exhibition match officially came to an end.
Duke recalled the completely exhausted Sirfetch'd back into its Poké Ball. Watching the ball shake gently, he smiled and said, "I know, I'll get you a new leek leaf as soon as we get back."
Sirfetch'd's leek shield had been smashed to pieces by Metagross, so it needed a replacement.
Leek leaves and stalks were just ordinary cooking ingredients, so getting a new one wasn't difficult.
"Meta~"
Metagross floated back to Julian's side.
"You've worked hard."
Julian took out a spray potion and carefully applied it to Metagross's arm.
Though the cracks appeared tiny, they had penetrated deep into Metagross's arm, and it would take some time to fully heal.
Compared to Metagross, Sirfetch'd had only exhausted its stamina and energy, so it would recover much faster.
Of course, this didn't mean Metagross was weaker than Sirfetch'd.
After using a move like Meteor Assault, if the opponent didn't fall, Sirfetch'd would be the one to collapse—it was an all-or-nothing move.
"Whew! That was close."
John let out a heavy sigh of relief, his expression shifting to one of concern as he looked at Mega Metagross.
To block the aftermath of that earlier shockwave, Mega Metagross had also expended a great deal of energy.
"That bastard Duke is too reckless! Good thing I'm so damn strong," John said smugly, effectively praising himself while pretending to complain.
---
At 8 p.m., still at the National Stadium in the Imperial Capital, the ceremony was held to inaugurate Julian as Drakoria's seventh Champion, complete with the amethyst-gold cape symbolizing the title.
All six of Drakoria's Grand Elders were in attendance, along with two of its Champions: Duke, Drakoria's strongest Champion, and Julian's grandfather, John.
The Grand Elder personally pinned the ceremonial marshal insignia onto Julian's shoulders.
Of course, this was only an honorary title from the military, more symbolic than functional.
Then, John draped the amethyst-gold Champion's cape over Julian's shoulders.
At this moment, the atmosphere in the venue reached its peak.
Because only that amethyst-gold cape truly symbolized that Drakoria had gained another Champion.
While capes were often seen as flashy and impractical—something most people would avoid wearing to avoid looking foolish—on this occasion, at the Champion ceremony, the cape suited Julian perfectly. With his tall, athletic build and regal demeanor, it seemed as though the cape had been made just for him.
As the cape settled on his shoulders, countless fireworks shot into the sky in concentric circles, bursting into the most brilliant display against the night sky.
"My dear grandson, I never imagined this day would come so soon," John said, his voice filled with emotion as he looked at the grandson who had made him prouder than he ever thought possible.
He had often dreamed of the moment he would drape the Champion's cape over Julian's shoulders. But he never expected this moment to truly arrive—and so soon at that.
It felt almost unreal to John.
As he gazed at his tall, heroic grandson, his mind drifted back to Julian's birth—how small and fragile he had been.
But now, he had grown into a towering tree.
In the future, he would take over as the pillar of the Walker family—or perhaps he already had.
Noticing the slight glisten in John's eyes, Julian was momentarily stunned. With the Seven-Aperture Stone, he could keenly sense the thoughts and emotions of those around him.
Right now, his grandfather was lost in self-touched sentiment, though beneath it lay an overwhelming love for him.
Julian pulled his grandfather into a tight hug.
With a wide grin, he said, "Grandpa, I am your grandson, after all. If I wasn't exceptional, wouldn't I be embarrassing you?"
"Hahaha! You're absolutely right! My grandson, John's grandson, is destined to soar above the heavens!"
Watching the affectionate bond between grandfather and grandson, Jake, standing nearby, couldn't help but mutter with a hint of jealousy, "I'm the father here. That's my son."
"Second Brother, if you've got the nerve, say it louder," Quinn teased.
"Hah, you think I don't dare?"
He then turned and shouted toward Julian, "You unfilial brat!"
Julian glanced at Jake. With so many people around, including reporters, was it really appropriate to call him that?
"Call me Dad!"
Jake's next words left Julian utterly speechless.
"Dad."
Well, he was his father, after all. Julian could more or less guess what was going through Jake's mind.
"See? Even if he's a Champion, he still has to call me Dad!"
Jake looked smugly at Quinn.
"Julian, call me Auntie!"
"Julian, call me Uncle!"
Julian: 'Are you all serious right now...?'
*****
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