"What's going on?"
"Did Slowking really manage to rest in secret?"
The thought appeared simultaneously in the minds of all the spectators.
But... was that even possible?
Ever since the battle had begun, Slowking had been fiercely fighting Typhlosion!
In such an intense battle, how could it have had even the slightest chance to rest?
"Could it have used Heal Pulse and Calm Mind?"
Among the audience, some trainers familiar with Slowking thought of that possibility.
But using Heal Pulse and Calm Mind in the middle of combat, under constant attacks, recovering while defending and attacking at the same time... wasn't that simply impossible?
Even if they didn't know whether other Pokémon could manage that, the mysterious Pokémon on the field had just proven that it could.
"Typhlosion!"
Brandon Hayes' shout brought everyone back to reality.
Typhlosion, already heavily worn out, couldn't endure after taking both Water Pulse and Hydro Pump—both super effective moves—and collapsed helplessly onto the ground.
Seeing this, everyone held their breath. Then, they looked at the calm Slowking floating in the arena with disbelief.
The contrast between the two Pokémon was an overwhelming visual shock. People couldn't even close their mouths in their astonishment.
"Did Brandon also lose?"
In the Duskwell City club, a deathly silence reigned.
Everyone wore dark expressions, a mix of gloom and disbelief in their eyes.
Their two trump cards... defeated by a single person?
And to top it off, that guy's Pokémon looked completely full of energy.
It was utterly absurd!
On the other hand, the members of the Ironvale City Club showed expressions of stunned amazement.
They had lost all hope, but... was Ethan's strength really this ridiculous?
Against a rival as powerful as Duskwell City's representative club, could Ethan really perform a "one versus ten"?
"Typhlosion is unable to continue fighting. The winner is Slowking."
After a few moments of shock, the referee finally announced the result.
"This is bad..."
The supervisor of the Duskwell City club was drenched in sweat.
"That Slowking is just showing off."
"After two battles, how could it still be unscathed?"
"He's faking it, he's definitely faking it!"
The club captain, Liam Jones, spat angrily. After saying that, he grabbed a Pokéball and headed straight to the field.
As long as they defeated that Slowking, they could still win. Besides Ethan, the rest of the Ironvale City Club were, in his eyes, complete trash.
As he walked, he glanced at Brandon and Derek Ashford, showing them a provocatively smug smile.
"Those so-called reinforcements... was that all? I'll show everyone that even without them, I can lead my team to victory."
"Go, Electabuzz!"
He threw the Pokéball, and Electabuzz appeared in the arena.
"Slowking, use Hydro Pump."
Ethan gave the order without hesitation.
"Electabuzz, dodge and counter with Thunderbolt."
Liam issued his command with full confidence. His Electabuzz was famous for its speed. A slow attack like Hydro Pump, in his opinion, was impossible to land.
But after several seconds...
Electabuzz didn't move.
And the Hydro Pump Liam had mocked as slow and clumsy sent it flying through the air.
"H-how is that possible? How can a Hydro Pump at that speed hit Electabuzz?"
Liam was dumbfounded.
"Here comes another one—Electabuzz, move!"
But again, Electabuzz didn't react, taking the second Hydro Pump like a fixed target.
"What...?"
Cold sweat slid down Liam's forehead.
BOOM!
For the third time, Hydro Pump was fired.
"Use Thunderbolt to block it!"
Liam abandoned the idea of dodging and bet everything on a counterattack.
But Slowking's Hydro Pump wasn't an ordinary Hydro Pump: its slowness came from the massive energy packed into the move, making it thicker and far more powerful than the standard version.
In a direct clash, Hydro Pump plowed through Thunderbolt, tearing it apart mid-air before slamming into Electabuzz.
BOOM!
Electabuzz was violently thrown back for the third time... and this time it couldn't stand up again.
"H-how... is this possible?"
Liam murmured, his pupils shrinking. He was completely frozen.
"This idiot clearly has no idea how terrifying that Slowking is."
Derek and Brandon looked at Liam as if watching a clown.
Both sighed inwardly.
Slowking's control and attack technique... they had seen it many times.
Even the powerful Rowan Thorne had been completely crushed by that Pokémon, unable to do anything at all.
Honestly, neither of them wanted to face that Slowking right now. Unless Derek used his Ace: his Dark-type Greninja. Otherwise, the result would be disastrous.
"It seems Slowking really has mastered a move similar to Recover. Otherwise, it couldn't have recovered so easily. Its condition, its strength, and its focus are all at their peak."
"And the most terrifying thing is that it can use that move even while fighting... it's practically invincible!"
After analyzing things, Derek could only let out a sigh full of helplessness.
He had battled Ethan many times... but instead of closing the gap, it seemed the distance between them kept growing.
Now only one question remained: Could Lucien Foster defeat a Slowking in that state?
If he lost as well... then Ethan would undoubtedly be the strongest of his entire generation.
(End of chapter)