"What is this attack? What a terrifying fluctuation of energy!"
When Sandslash executed the combination of Rapid Spin and Fury Swipes, creating a true storm of blades, the spectators shouted uncontrollably, their faces filled with disbelief.
"Furious Spin...?"
Lucien Foster muttered the name of Sandslash's combined move, his expression tense.
At the same time, Garchomp's Dragon Rush had also finished charging. With a stomp, the entire ground trembled, and the rebound force launched Garchomp forward, vanishing in an instant.
Boom!
The next moment, under everyone's tense gazes, the two attacks collided violently.
Garchomp's Dragon Rush struck Sandslash's Furious Spin like a dragon crashing into a wall. But in the midst of the thunderous impact... the "wall" did not yield. The two moves were locked in a stalemate.
"Come on, Sandslash!"
Seeing this, Ethan shouted.
No matter how the battle had gone so far, once both chose to settle everything with their ultimate moves, the victory would depend solely on this clash.
Boom, boom, boom!
Dragon-type energy and Normal-type energy collided fiercely.
Crrr...!
At that moment, a teeth-grinding sound echoed. Sandslash's Furious Spin began cutting into the dragon silhouette surrounding Garchomp as if it were a chainsaw.
BOOM!
With the full detonation of Furious Spin, the dragon silhouette was shaved away little by little until it completely disintegrated. A massive explosion erupted, releasing energy and sending a cloud of smoke sweeping across the entire field.
"How did the battle end?"
The spectators stretched their necks to see, some in the back rows even standing up, tense.
"Garchomp should have won... right?"
"No matter how much Sandslash increased its attack, there's no way its endurance compares to a Dragon-type pseudo-legendary."
The spectator spoke confidently. But before finishing the sentence, he froze.
The smoke slowly cleared... and in the arena stood only the reddish figure of Sandslash.
Garchomp, meanwhile, was lying at the edge of the arena, dragged there by the blast. Motionless. Clearly unable to battle.
"Garchomp... lost?"
The spectator gaped in disbelief.
"I lost."
Lucien sighed.
His gaze toward Ethan was filled with astonishment.
The last time Ethan had defeated him, he did it with tricks and complex strategies.
But now... with just Sandslash, he had overwhelmed one of his three aces head-on: his Garchomp. Ethan's growth left him utterly stunned.
"Garchomp is unable to battle. Sandslash wins."
The referee announced the result, and the crowd erupted.
Shhh—
Upon hearing the verdict, Sandslash collapsed into a sitting position, exhausted.
"Sandslash, you were incredible."
"Can you keep fighting?"
Ethan smiled as he asked.
Sandslash shook its head with a bitter smile. It had won, yes... but barely. Even with multiple boosts from Swords Dance and Metal Claw, the opponent had still been a Dragon-type pseudo-legendary: superior in attack, defense, endurance, and speed.
It was an innate racial difference, impossible to fully overcome.
"Don't worry. The Pokémon Research Guild's study on Totem Pokémon has made key breakthroughs."
"When you become a Totem Pokémon, your racial advantage won't lose to a pseudo-legendary."
Ethan reassured him.
Sandslash nodded eagerly; its eyes even sparkled like little stars.
Even though it didn't know how to become a Totem Pokémon... it probably meant eating a ton, right?
It got fired up! Once the tournament was over, it would feast!
"Come back and rest."
Ethan smiled, seeing its renewed spirit. He took out its Poké Ball, returned Sandslash, and told the referee that it could no longer continue the battle.
Seeing Ethan step down, the members of the Imperial City Club wiped cold sweat from their foreheads.
For a moment, they almost saw a nightmare: Ethan sweeping through all ten members of the club again, one after another.
Fortunately, while Sandslash was strong, it wasn't that much stronger than Garchomp. That gave them a bit of relief.
"Ethan, there will be a festival in Dragon Valley soon."
"If you're interested, you can go. When the time comes... we'll battle again."
Lucien smiled.
Clearly, he had not given up on challenging Ethan; to him, Ethan had already become his lifelong rival.
"The Dragon Valley Festival..."
Ethan frowned, intrigued.
"That's right. If you want to obtain a pseudo-legendary, this might be your chance."
Lucien's words truly startled Ethan. It wasn't easy to obtain a pseudo-legendary, especially in a place where capturing through battle was forbidden.
In Dragon Valley, you could only obtain a Pokémon if it recognized you and accepted you willingly.
The festival was an opportunity to interact with many Pokémon in the valley, and it also included battles between trainers.
And since Dragon-type Pokémon revered strength, if you demonstrated your power during the festival, it was easy to earn their favor.
"I understand."
"I'll definitely attend the festival."
"And I look forward to our next battle."
Ethan spoke gratefully. He knew Lucien invited him because he wanted a rematch, but Ethan never feared challenges.
After sharing information about the festival, the two stepped off the stage to the cheers of the crowd.
Afterward, the competition continued. But with Marcus Foster participating, the Pokémon Nightstar Club couldn't hold out and lost, though Ethan's victory over Lucien made the defeat honorable.
(End of chapter)