Yozora's Beedrill was on a completely different level from any ordinary Beedrill…
Though they belonged to the same species, the difference between individuals was like night and day.
A normal Beedrill was far too fragile. Even at a high level, it could easily be defeated by a relatively weaker opponent.
And now was no exception…
BOOM!
With a deafening crash, massive chunks of ice shattered from Beedrill's body. The force of the strike, however, had severely wounded it, leaving the insect sprawled on the ground, unable to rise again.
"Beedrill is unable to battle! Crystal Onix wins!" the referee announced coolly.
With that, Crystal Onix had achieved a clean sweep, taking down two of Bugsy's Pokémon in a row. Only his last remained.
"Senior, you're incredible…" Akai and Tiane stared wide-eyed at Crystal Onix's dominant performance, utterly astonished by Yozora's strength.
Especially Akai.
He had once challenged Azalea Gym himself, and knew better than anyone how terrifying Bugsy's strength was. To him, Bugsy had always been an insurmountable wall.
Yet here was Yozora, overwhelming that very Gym Leader with crushing superiority.
On the other side, Bugsy was even more shaken.
His Lord-tier Pokémon had actually lost to nothing more than an Elite-tier… it was unthinkable, and yet it had just happened before his very eyes.
It's not my fault… that Crystal Onix is just too monstrous! Bugsy's heart twisted. That Crystal Onix might officially be only Elite-tier, but its defenses only grew stronger the longer it battled. By now, it had already reached Lord-tier durability—perhaps even higher…
"But let's see how you deal with this one."
Bugsy's gaze sharpened. He pulled out his third Poké Ball and hurled it onto the field.
"Go! Noble warrior of the swarm—Scizor!"
His third Pokémon took the stage: Scizor.
A humanoid mantis clad in gleaming crimson armor, Scizor had evolved from Scyther. Its twin scythes had transformed into massive steel pincers, each strike carrying far greater force than before.
Not only that, its level was extremely high—approaching the upper ranks of Gym Leader level. Even if it wasn't Bugsy's ultimate ace, it was undoubtedly one of his most trusted mainstays.
"Scizor, use Metal Claw!" Bugsy barked the instant it appeared, launching into an aggressive opening.
Scizor blurred into a crimson afterimage, pincers glowing like sharpened blades of steel as it dashed toward Crystal Onix at blinding speed.
"Use Icy Wind!" Yozora countered without hesitation.
A frigid gust howled forth. Yet Scizor didn't even flinch—completely unfazed by the cold.
It sliced straight through the icy gale, reached Crystal Onix in a flash, and slammed its Metal Claw against its crystalline body.
Crystal Onix let out a pained roar, collapsed, and didn't rise again.
A one-hit knockout.
"The battle is decided! Crystal Onix is unable to battle—Scizor wins!" the referee declared.
The tide had shifted.
Akai and Tiane stiffened, nervousness flooding back.
They couldn't tell exactly what level that Scizor had reached, but one thing was clear—it was incredibly strong.
When Akai had challenged Azalea Gym before, Bugsy hadn't even brought out this Scizor.
"So it's Scizor, huh? Bug/Steel type… meaning a four-times weakness to fire." Yozora's eyes narrowed as he assessed the opponent.
Bugsy, after all, didn't have his system. Without it, there was no way he could give Scizor an ability like Flash Fire.
Which meant… that four-times Fire weakness was a fatal flaw.
With that thought, Yozora calmly recalled Crystal Onix and immediately sent out Dragonair.
Though not as enormous as Crystal Onix, Dragonair was still tall and elegant—its slender, flowing form radiating grace. And unlike the Onix, Dragonair's speed was far superior.
On top of that, Yozora had already enhanced it with the Speed Boost ability—
[Dragonair]: Marvel Scale, Huge Power, Stamina, Technician, Speed Boost.
Huge Power enhanced its raw strength, massively raising physical attack.
Technician boosted the power of its moves, allowing even Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, and Water Pulse to strike with increased potency.
Stamina reinforced its defenses.
Speed Boost accelerated it relentlessly.
In short—this Dragonair possessed overwhelming power, deadly offense, unyielding defense, and terrifying speed.
Though only a Dragonair, its stats rivaled those of a pseudo-legendary Dragonite.
And once it evolved… Dragonite's sheer bulk, immense power, and blistering speed combined would be nothing short of invincible.
No weaknesses. Only strengths.
What's more, upon evolution, Marvel Scale would transform into Multiscale, making it even tankier.
"Commander-tier, peak stage…" Bugsy's eyes gleamed as he gauged Dragonair's aura. But after what had happened with Crystal Onix, he didn't dare underestimate it in the slightest.
That Onix had only been peak Elite-tier, and yet it had been terrifying beyond measure.
Now this Dragonair was even stronger in level. Which meant its power was bound to be overwhelming.
"Scizor, take the initiative—use Bullet Punch!" Bugsy shouted.
Whsshh!
Scizor launched forward like a bullet, the steel glow on its pincers streaking through the air.
Though a Steel-type move, Bullet Punch functioned much like Quick Attack—an ultra-fast strike designed to move first.
Scizor's Bullet Punch was blindingly quick, but Yozora was ready.
"Dragonair, don't let it land a hit—Flame Suppression!"
From above, Dragonair unleashed a stream of fire.
But instead of focusing it into a single beam, it blasted it against the ground, scattering it outward like a spreading tide of flame. The power weakened from diffusion, but the coverage multiplied dramatically.
And against Scizor, a four-times weakness meant raw damage was never the issue—only landing the hit mattered.
As the fiery wave surged, Bugsy's heart jolted. "Scizor, up—dodge upward!"
Whoosh!
With a flicker, Scizor shot into the air, narrowly avoiding the flames.
But Dragonair didn't let up, spewing wave after wave of scattering fire.
Again and again, Scizor was forced to evade, unable to close the distance, unable to strike back.
And while they exchanged blows, Dragonair's Speed Boost kept triggering…
Speed rose by one stage.Then another.And another.
All the way to the maximum six stages—its speed doubling, then doubling again.
Dragonair's speed skyrocketed beyond imagination, surpassing its own tier, surpassing Lord-tier Pokémon, surpassing even Bugsy's Scizor.
The gap was widening.
The battle had only just begun.
(End of Chapter)