The moment Yozora stepped onto the battlefield, the crowd erupted into a thunderous cheer.
At last, after all the waiting, the most exciting, most thrilling final match was about to begin!
"Yozora," Derrick, the blond gentleman, brushed aside his golden bangs with practiced elegance and smiled. "For someone your age, your strength is astonishing. You possess a future broader than most can ever imagine… but you are still young. This era does not yet belong to you."
He was about thirty, mature and composed, without the brash arrogance of youth. His confidence was of a different kind—tempered by hardship, grounded in experience, and unshaken by fortune or misfortune.
A murmur rippled through the stadium. Derrick, normally so silent and taciturn, had spoken first before the battle even began. The audience was stunned. Clearly, Derrick held Yozora in high regard.
"No, Mr. Derrick," Yozora smiled humbly, though his eyes glimmered with unshakable confidence. "I believe the world will always belong to the young."
"Wow! As expected of the grand finals! The match hasn't even started, and sparks are already flying between the two contestants!"
"The battle is about to begin. After the referee's signal, both trainers will release their first Pokémon simultaneously!" the announcer repeated the rules, though everyone knew them well. Yozora and Derrick nodded in unison.
The referee raised his flag.The finals began!
Both trainers hurled their Ultra Balls into the arena.
"Go, Gengar!"
"Your turn, Kangaskhan!"
The two Pokémon materialized.
On one side, Gengar stood with its signature eerie grin, a chilling aura radiating from its shadowy form. The sight sent a shiver down the spine of many spectators.
On the other, Kangaskhan loomed tall, her presence unwavering, completely unfazed by the ghost's sinister energy.
"Kangaskhan? Did you predict I'd use Gengar, so you chose her deliberately?" Derrick asked with amused curiosity.
Everyone knew—this matchup was special.Gengar was Ghost/Poison-type.Kangaskhan was Normal-type.
Ghost-types were immune to Normal-type moves.Normal-types, in turn, were immune to Ghost-type moves.
Mutual immunity.
Of course, that was how the games presented it. In reality, no resistance was ever absolute. With enough power, even an "immune" opponent could be hurt.
Still, with their levels so close, their matchup should result in stalemate—unless one of them had powerful attacks outside their primary type.
"Heh… do you think my Gengar only knows Ghost-type moves?" Derrick chuckled. "Gengar, Hypnosis!"
Gengar's grin widened. Like a shadow sinking into the floor, it slipped underground and reappeared right before Kangaskhan. Then, as if by sleight of hand, it produced a string with a coin dangling at the end.
The hypnotic coin swayed rhythmically. Gengar's eyes glowed with psychic light, luring Kangaskhan into slumber.
Hypnosis. A Psychic-type move capable of putting foes to sleep.
And Derrick's Gengar had more than just Hypnosis—it also knew Dream Eater. Put the opponent to sleep, then drain their energy within their dreams. A devastating combo, and one that worked perfectly against Kangaskhan.
But Yozora only sneered.
"It dares…? That Gengar dares get so close?" His voice dripped with mockery. "Isn't it just asking to die? My Kangaskhan is a powerhouse!"
He snapped his order:"Kangaskhan—Dynamic Punch!"
"That won't work! Don't you know—" Derrick started to shake his head in disappointment. But then his words froze in his throat.
Because Kangaskhan's fist connected.
BAM!
The punch smashed straight into Gengar's face, sending it flying like a broken kite.
THUD!
Gengar hit the ground hard. Its eyes spun into swirls, unconscious before it even realized what had happened. Its left cheek ballooned comically, even in fainted stupor.
The crowd burst into gasps.
Everyone knew Gengar—high special attack, blinding speed, but fragile. One clean hit could topple it. But to be dropped in one blow like that, against a Normal-type? Impossible!
"This… this is impossible!" Derrick's eyes widened, his disbelief plain. "Dynamic Punch shouldn't even hit Gengar!"
Why? How?
Not just Derrick—the announcer, the referee, the audience, even Ash's friend Ritchie and Sherry—all sat stunned.
Yozora's strategy had completely shattered their understanding of battles.
But it wasn't ignorance. This era simply didn't have the concept of Abilities. People only vaguely recognized that some Pokémon possessed mysterious natural talents.
It was Professor Oak alone who was researching them, collecting data, and painstakingly compiling the statistics. But even he was still years away from publishing his findings—and only for Kanto Pokémon.
Only much later would other Professors across the regions follow, cataloging Abilities for the Pokémon of their lands.
For now, this knowledge was still unknown to the world.
"Gengar is… unable to battle," the referee finally announced, his voice still quivering with shock.
It had taken nearly thirty seconds before he could even remember to call the result.
"Incredible! Yozora's Kangaskhan knocked out Gengar with a single punch! Simply unbelievable! Could it be that Yozora's Kangaskhan has some kind of extraordinary, unique ability?" the announcer cried with excitement.
Meanwhile, the dazed Gengar finally stirred, sitting up weakly. With both hands, it gingerly held its swollen cheek, eyes watery with pitiful grievance.
"Yozora," Derrick asked at last, his eyes filled not with bitterness but with curiosity, "if you don't mind… would you allow me to at least understand how my Gengar lost?"
And not just him. The entire audience, Ritchie, Sherry—everyone's eyes turned toward Yozora, waiting for his answer.
End of Chapter