Chapter 21: Champion's Guidance
"Charizard, Sunny Day, then Flamethrower!" Ryan commanded. Charizard launched an energy orb into the sky, and the sunlight suddenly intensified. Just as it was about to unleash Flamethrower, Metagross's steel claws slammed into Charizard's abdomen, sending it flying backward. It was Metagross's Bullet Punch.
"Don't waste time setting up weather effects unless you're preparing for an extended battle strategy. Also, your move execution is too slow—that needs improvement," Steven said calmly.
"Right. Charizard, Smokescreen, then Dragon Rush!" Ryan called out seriously.
Charizard exhaled countless clouds of smoke, enveloping Metagross in a thick haze. Then, surging with draconic energy, it charged toward Metagross with tremendous force.
"Psychic," Steven said calmly. His Metagross caught Charizard's Dragon Rush with telekinetic force, stopping the attack completely. "Don't always rely on high-powered moves. Sometimes basic or mid-level techniques can be surprisingly effective. Your Charizard is strong overall, but you need to address its weaknesses. Let's finish this—Psychic slam."
With a flicker of psychic energy, Metagross slammed Charizard into the ground, rendering it unable to battle. Ryan remained silent, a glint of understanding in his eyes. He then sent out Beedrill.
"Beedrill, Agility, then Drill Run!" Ryan commanded.
"Excellent speed coordination, but you're underestimating a Champion's reflexes. Psychic," Steven said.
The psychic barrier instantly formed, completely blocking Beedrill's charge. Ryan gritted his teeth. "Keep attacking with Drill Run!"
"Psychic again, then Bullet Punch," Steven said. "Moves aren't just about memorizing patterns. I'll tell you seriously—my Metagross's Psychic has never failed to connect. As for move application, that's something you need to understand through experience."
The psychic barrier once again blocked the attack, and a single Bullet Punch took down Beedrill. Steven observed, "Based on your Beedrill's performance, you've focused entirely on attack power, but its defensive capabilities are far too low. That's an extreme approach. Remember, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Next."
"Nidorino, time to evolve," Ryan said, pulling a Moon Stone from his backpack and offering it to Nidorino. Nidorino accepted the Moon Stone, and with a flash of evolutionary light, it successfully evolved into Nidoking.
Ryan had deliberately kept Nidorino from evolving because it could learn Horn Drill—a one-hit knockout move that only Nidorino could master. Nidoking couldn't learn this technique, which is why Ryan had delayed the evolution. Even so, he had wanted to polish Nidorino's skills further, but facing Steven required his absolute best effort—half-measures would be useless.
Ryan's eyes blazed with determination as he declared, "Nidoking, Earth Power!"
Nidoking stomped heavily on the ground, sending earthen waves surging toward Metagross like a tsunami. Steven spoke calmly, "Magnet Rise."
Metagross levitated into the air, rendering Earth Power completely ineffective. Ryan called out, "Nidoking, Swagger!"
"Bullet Punch will end this," Steven said, frowning slightly. "Ryan, it seems you struggle with type disadvantages. When your opponent's Pokémon has a clear advantage over yours, you must consider broader battle strategies and expand your movepool diversity. Otherwise, being hard-countered means certain defeat."
Ryan recalled Nidoking, nodded thoughtfully, and sent out Gloom. Steven shook his head, reached into his stone collection bag, and tossed two evolution stones to Ryan.
Ryan caught the two stones: a Leaf Stone and a Sun Stone. He gave the Sun Stone to Gloom and tossed the Leaf Stone back to Steven, saying, "Thank you, sir."
Evolutionary light appeared once more, and a petite, beautiful flower Pokémon emerged. Ryan commanded, "Bellossom, Quiver Dance!"
"Good move selection and timing, but don't become overly fixated on setting up stat boosts," Steven advised. "Ice Punch."
"I understand now. Switch tactics—Magical Leaf!" Ryan smiled.
Ice Punch knocked out Bellossom, but not before Magical Leaf connected with Metagross, finally dealing some damage. Steven smiled approvingly. "Not bad—you're learning quickly."
"Of course! With such excellent instruction, I'd be disappointing if I didn't improve. Greninja, show the Champion our true potential! Battle Bond Transformation!"
Ryan and Greninja struck identical poses simultaneously. Torrents of water enveloped Greninja, and when they dissipated, mega Greninja stood on the battlefield. Ryan gestured dramatically. "Water Shuriken!"
Greninja drew two massive water shurikens from its back and hurled them at Metagross with incredible speed. Steven's eyes widened with genuine interest. "I've never witnessed this form of evolution before—truly remarkable! Metagross, Psychic!"
The twin Water Shurikens struck Metagross successfully, while Metagross's psychic energy enveloped Greninja—who broke free with surprising ease. Ryan charged forward in sync with his Pokémon, and Greninja landed a solid Dark-type strike on Metagross.
"Ah, Dark-type immunity to Psychic attacks," Steven laughed appreciatively. "Clever! Metagross, Hammer Arm!"
"Night Slash!" Ryan formed hand signs as Greninja mirrored his movements, launching a devastating Dark-type attack. Metagross's Hammer Arm connected simultaneously, though its effectiveness was reduced due to type disadvantage.
"Impressive that it's still standing! Is that due to the transformation boosting its stats?" Steven mused. "Bullet Punch!"
Ryan called out desperately as Greninja fired a final Hydro Pump, but Bullet Punch connected first, knocking out his transformed Pokémon. Greninja reverted to its normal form as it fainted.
"Fascinating phenomenon. However, you still need to strengthen your fundamental training. I sense both its speed and attack power have significant room for improvement," Steven noted.
"Right. Finally—Mewtwo, show him what you can do! Guard Split!" Ryan said with utmost seriousness.
A mysterious energy swapped Mewtwo's and Metagross's defensive capabilities. Steven smiled knowingly. "Shadow Ball."
Ryan winced. "Future Sight! But wait—how did you know Mewtwo has Psychic typing?"
Mewtwo launched its psychic energy into the temporal void while Shadow Ball connected directly. Fortunately, Metagross's high defense prevented a one-shot knockout.
Steven smiled. "Don't forget—my Metagross is also part Psychic-type. Recognizing your Mewtwo's psychic abilities was elementary. Another Shadow Ball."
"Recover! Disable!" Ryan attempted to seal away Shadow Ball.
"Too slow. Meteor Mash for the finish," Steven declared.
Recover restored some HP and Disable successfully hit Metagross, sealing Shadow Ball—but Metagross simply ignored the restriction and flattened Mewtwo with a devastating Meteor Mash.
The exhibition battle concluded, and Ryan recalled Mewtwo. Steven stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I'm not certain what species your Mewtwo actually is, but I can tell it possesses the greatest potential among all your Pokémon. Train it diligently. If you can reach my level of expertise, Mewtwo's power should eventually surpass even my Metagross."
Steven didn't elaborate further, though he had his suspicions. His Metagross was a pseudo-legendary, and above that tier existed only Legendary Pokémon. But he kept this observation to himself—everyone deserved to discover their own path and opportunities.
Ryan nodded gratefully and bid farewell to Steven. The Champion leaped onto Metagross's back, and the Steel-type Pokémon carried him soaring into the sky, soon disappearing beyond the horizon.
Ryan watched Steven's departure with mixed emotions. This battle against a Champion had provided invaluable lessons while simultaneously revealing just how much he still needed to grow. Taking a deep breath, he headed back toward the Pokémon Center. After all, Lillie was still waiting for his return.
(To be continued...)
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