After being hit by Slaking's Counter, which doubled the damage from its own three Hammer Arms, even Metagross's exceptionally monstrous defense was pushed to the limit.
Under the effect of Counter, it nearly vomited up yesterday's dinner, and waves of intense pain shot through its body. Fortunately, it could still move.
Just then, Slaking's Giga Impact came rushing toward it. The air pressure carried by the Giga Impact made the entire space feel incredibly heavy. If a human were in this space, they would undoubtedly suffocate to death.
With a thought, Metagross summoned layers of transparent Light Screens in front of the incoming attack.
But the Light Screens were like fragile glass, shattering one after another under the force of Giga Impact. The attack was like a speeding truck, obliterating everything in its path.
Given the straightforward, linear nature of Giga Impact, Metagross could've easily dodged using Teleport.
But it didn't.
If it dodged, Giga Impact would hit the protective barrier instead—and when that barrier cracked, its trainer would have to burn away more of his own lifespan to repair it.
Metagross was mentally connected to Julian. It knew exactly what price Julian had paid for this barrier.
By the time Giga Impact shattered the twentieth Light Screen, its speed finally began to drop.
"Meta!"
Seizing the opportunity, Metagross fired a silvery-white beam from the X on its forehead, clashing head-on with the Giga Impact.
The attack came to an abrupt halt, but the energy enveloping Slaking showed no signs of dissipating.
Pressing forward against the force of the Steel Beam, Slaking stomped the ground, advancing step by step.
Just then, Metagross abruptly withdrew its Steel Beam.
Because of that beam, Giga Impact's speed had dropped to its slowest. Now, even if it could regain speed, it would need time—similar to how a car needs time to accelerate from a standstill to 120 mph.
The time required to regain that speed was very short for Slaking—perhaps just the blink of an eye.
But in that blink, Metagross had already used Teleport to appear right in front of Slaking, slamming into it with full force.
[Body Press: The user slams its body into the target. The higher the user's Defense, the greater the damage inflicted.]
Metagross's defense needed no explanation—the fact that it withstood its own move's damage doubled by Counter without its defense being broken showed just how monstrous its resilience really was.
Under the force of Body Press, even though Slaking was still enveloped in the energy of Giga Impact, it was useless. As the energy around it shattered, Slaking's blood-soaked body was exposed.
BOOM!!
A loud impact echoed as Slaking's body shot through the air like a meteor.
And the very next second, Metagross appeared in its path, swung its glowing fist, and launched it skyward with a Meteor Mash.
Jirachi had already opened a gap in the protective barrier above, so this time, Slaking was sent flying straight through it.
Metagross followed immediately, appearing above Slaking.
Slaking swung a fist upward, but Metagross easily dodged.
Then—
Hammer Arm ×4.
"Rooaaar!"
Slaking bellowed in rage, and a green Protect barrier flared around it.
The first strike—the barrier held.
The second strike—cracks spread across the surface.
The third strike—Protect shattered completely.
The fourth strike, accompanied by the sound of cracking bones and splattering flesh, sent Slaking's body crashing to the ground.
But it still wasn't over.
Earthquake!
Metagross landed, its four claws slamming violently into the ground.
Rumble—!!
In an instant, the world turned upside down. The ground cracked, dirt and smoke rising in a chaotic storm that swallowed the battlefield.
A few minutes later, Metagross, cold and expressionless, dragged Slaking's body over to Julian.
"Gengar."
"Gen~"
Gengar emerged and stored Slaking's body within its inner dimension—and of course, devoured its soul as nourishment.
The soul of a Champion-level Pokémon—that was an absolute treasure.
Slaking had consumed four Ultimate treasures. Although they couldn't really be extracted, its flesh and bones still contained traces of those treasures' components.
By extracting the essence and refining it into potions, it would undoubtedly become a powerful supplement for any Pokémon.
"I lost…"
Eric looked at Julian, who now stood before him, and let out a bitter smile.
He reached out to calm his Gothitelle, who was trying to protect him.
The entire battle, from start to finish, had taken only eight minutes. The effect of Slaking's Zeal Seed hadn't even worn off, yet it had already been crushed by Metagross.
The difference between them was simply too vast.
He recalled Gothitelle into its Poké Ball, sealed it shut, and tossed the ball to Julian.
"Take good care of her."
"Don't worry," Julian said calmly. "She'll live well."
Eric nodded, then pulled out a pistol and pressed it against his own temple.
Bang!
With the sound of a gunshot, the man who had ruled Victoria for decades—Eric Dawson, a Champion—slowly collapsed to the ground.
As Eric died, a phantom of Groudon emerged from within his body, letting out a silent roar toward Julian.
Its vessel had fallen. Groudon fixed its gaze on Julian, memorizing this human's face.
Julian showed no fear, calmly meeting Groudon's gaze.
With Eric's death, Groudon's phantom lost its anchor to the world. After locking eyes with Julian for a moment, it slowly faded away.
If Julian hadn't killed Eric's son and forged an irreconcilable enmity between them, he might have spared both Eric and his Slaking, if only for Eric's declaration: "I am a citizen this country, and I will never betray my nation."
Unfortunately, their feud was one of life and death.
If he had let Eric live, someday in the future Julian might have been kneeling beside his loved ones' corpses, shedding tears of regret.
By now, Jirachi had already dispelled the protective barrier.
Julian took out his phone and dialed Ella.
"Commander," came Ella's voice over the phone, tinged with palpable relief.
The fact that Julian was calling meant the battle was over—and that he had won. The weight in Ella's heart finally eased.
Still, the fight had ended surprisingly fast—just eight minutes.
"Have all the direct descendants of the Dawson family cleaned out," Julian said coldly. "Especially those connected to Eric."
During the battle, the entire Dawson family estate had been completely destroyed. Every direct member, every collateral relative, every servant inside had perished.
But outside, there were surely still other descendants. A family as large as the Dawson's couldn't have had every single one gathered in the estate.
Julian would show no mercy—roots and branches all must be eradicated.
Every major family had its own covert forces, engaged in deeds best kept from the light.
"Understood," Ella replied with a nod.
Thanks to Julian's trust in her, she could mobilize a portion of the Walker family's hidden resources.
As Julian's order went out, direct members of the Dawson family across the world began to die under mysterious circumstances—even Eric's several well-concealed illegitimate children all met their ends.
*****
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