"Roar!" Seeing its attack blocked, the Arzuros immediately took a step back and unleashed its Predation Attack.
CRUNCH!
Timed perfectly for the moment the barrier vanished, the attack landed. Its claws clamped down on the Golem.
"Such a quick and decisive reaction," Professor Li thought, his eyes wide. "That Pokémon's combat experience is incredibly rich. It has definitely survived hundreds of life-or-death battles. This young man must be a civilian trainer. What a terrifying talent. Sooner or later, he'll become a Heavenly King. I must find an opportunity to get acquainted with him, invest in him early. The favor of a self-made Heavenly King is a valuable asset."
The Arzuros's Predation Attack, a move that could deal massive damage to the player in the games, was its most powerful skill. It was difficult to use, with a long wind-up, and was only effective against enemies smaller than itself.
After grabbing the Golem, the Arzuros opened its mouth and bit down.
CRACK!
It bit directly onto the Golem's head. If not for the Golem's Sturdy ability and the fact that the Arzuros was holding back, the Golem would have been killed instantly. This was a Gym challenge, not the lawless wilderness. Killing an opponent's Pokémon was a serious offense that could even lead to jail time.
The Golem was smaller than the Arzuros. Therefore, its Big Bully ability activated, doubling its attack power. Combined with the boost from Bulk Up, the Arzuros's attack power was now three times its normal value. Its base Attack was 150, and the Golem had a two-times weakness to Fighting-type moves. So, even with the Golem's impressive defense and the boost from Harden, it couldn't withstand the damage.
Thump.
The Arzuros casually tossed the severely injured Golem to the ground, then fixed its scarlet eyes on the middle-aged man.
"Return, Golem." The gatekeeper recalled his Pokémon, his expression now grave. Although his eye for talent wasn't as sharp as Professor Li's, he was still a Gym Leader-tier trainer. He knew how terrifying the Arzuros was. Unfortunately, he had already antagonized its trainer and could only see this through to the end.
A civilian trainer? he thought, a complex look in his eyes. To be honest, trainers from wealthy families looked down on those from common backgrounds. But reality was a harsh teacher. At the same level, most wealthy trainers couldn't beat the civilian ones who had clawed their way up from the bottom. This was especially true at the Gym Leader, Elite Four, and Heavenly King tiers. Of course, at the elite level, the wealthy trainers had the advantage of better resources. As for the Champion level, anyone who reached that height was a prodigy among prodigies, a true master of battle, regardless of their background.
"Please choose your second Pokémon within one minute," the referee called down. He then turned to Zhang. "While your opponent is choosing his next Pokémon, you cannot use any moves."
"Don't worry, I know the rules," Zhang nodded. He had done his homework.
While the gatekeeper was deliberating, the live chat on the Pokémon Channel was exploding.
"Holy crap, he really is Gym Leader tier! The expert was right!"
"Awesome! So young and already that strong."
"Guys, shouldn't we be focusing on the Pokémon?!"
"I've never seen a Pokémon like that before. It's huge!"
"It's as tall as my two-story house! Is that really a Pokémon?"
"There's no information on it in the Pokédex. It must be a newly discovered species. New Pokémon are found every year, so don't be too surprised."
"I'm so envious! I want a Pokémon that powerful. So tall and strong, it must be majestic to ride."
"Envy +1!"
"Come out, Steelix!" The gatekeeper threw his next Poké Ball. A nine-meter-long steel serpent appeared. Compared to most Pokémon, it was a behemoth. But next to the Arzuros, it looked almost slender.
Steelix
Level: 45 (Gym Leader Tier)
Type: Steel/Ground
Ability: Sturdy
Held Item: Metronome (+20% power for consecutive uses of the same move, up to 200%)
"Roar!" The Arzuros charged, using Thrash once again.
Rumble!
Faced with the charge, the Steelix immediately used Dig, burrowing underground. The Arzuros's momentum was too overwhelming; the Steelix knew it couldn't win a head-on confrontation. It planned to circle underground, using Harden to max out its defense before re-engaging.
"Earthquake," Zhang said calmly.
"ROAR!" The Arzuros stomped its feet.
Zhang had used a TM to teach the Arzuros Earthquake, giving it a ranged attack option. He never expected someone to be foolish enough to use Dig in front of it.
RUMBLE!
The ground trembled violently. The Steelix underground was instantly and severely injured. Earthquake was a Ground-type move, and Steelix had a two-times weakness to it.
CRASH! With the last of its strength, the Steelix burst from the ground and fainted.
"The winner is Arzuros! Please send out your third Pokémon within one minute!" the referee announced.
"It knows Earthquake... really bad luck," the gatekeeper muttered, recalling his Steelix.
"The gatekeeper lost again, and so decisively."
"Professor Li, why do you think he lost so easily? Could he be holding back?" Xiao Xue asked.
"He's not holding back. The challenger is simply stronger," Professor Li explained. "Based on my observations, that Pokémon is a Fighting-type, which has an advantage against Rock-types. Its ability must be something that boosts its attack power, like Huge Power. Most importantly, it has extremely rich combat experience. The gatekeeper is simply outmatched. With a disadvantage in strength, type, and experience, it's a wonder he could fight at all."
"So, can I understand it as the challenger's Pokémon is superior in terms of base stats, typing, and combat experience?" Xiao Xue summarized with a smile.
"That's an accurate way to put it," he nodded.
"An ability like Huge Power, and a base Attack of at least 100... I really want one," a comment flashed across the screen.