"Bam—"
The Flash Cannon came down and burst where Sandslash stood, the blast rolling out like a tide, dust flying everywhere.
And then Sandslash's short figure came walking slowly out of that smoke, and with every step it took the presence about it climbed another notch.
What showed of it had reached the Elite level already, and it was still rising.
42... 45...... 49.. 50 — it was only at level 50 that Sandslash's presence levelled off.
That small body, carrying a presence not to be taken lightly, showed itself again.
The Bronzong opposite faced it as it would a mortal enemy; it had already felt on the other a power sufficient to beat it, which had not been there before.
"What?"
Ronan opposite let out a shout of incomprehension. How, out of a clear sky, had the thing suddenly burst past its limit? And gained a whole tier in one leap — did it have to be quite so absurd? This world really was too unfair.
Cerise, whom he had met last time, had given him a very bad time of it and forced him to show the card in his hand, and now here was another.
But a Pokémon strengthened by Psychic-type power he could understand; this business with Sandslash went too far.
It was nothing short of bullying an honest man like himself, who had no powers at all.
"That aura......"
"Bzzz—"
Bronzong passed the word along, and understanding dawned on Ronan too late.
"The Viridian Power!! You actually have the Viridian Power! Aren't you a Psychic! Wait...... two powers at once!! Bloody hell!"
It broke him. He had thought he had run into a minnow, and instead he had run into a great shark!
A man with two powers — that was an absolute freak of nature.
One was hard enough to come by; two, and what was that if not a freak?
And by the look of this, his command of the Viridian Power had reached a considerable depth as well.
"This is trouble."
Ronan was numb with it, and nothing was left of the man who had held the win in his hand a moment before.
"The Viridian Power. What on earth has he been through?"
Down below, Cerise had realised it too, and stood with her fists clenched. She fell to thinking.
How could there be such a man, with two kinds of power in one body?
And the sight of Vance startled the masters up on the high stand as well.
"The Viridian Power. That is the Viridian Power, there's no mistaking it."
Agatha of the Elite Four said it in astonishment.
"Yes."
Lance nodded along with her.
"How very interesting. In that case this Conference has become more interesting still."
Lorelei said it with a light laugh.
Bruno scratched his head, a smile spreading over his face. Talent had come forward, and in their own Kanto region at that, which naturally pleased him; and besides, it did not prove his instinct wrong — he had said as much earlier.
Behind them Steven was exclaiming over it again and again. He had never thought it — never in the world; every time he saw this young fellow there was something new to be found.
Even Cynthia opened her fine eyes and looked at the calm-faced youth on the field.
While everybody was marvelling, off in one corner there were several whose faces were far from pleased, and all the more so now that Vance had shown another card.
"Two kinds of power. That is rare indeed. Talent of that sort is very thin on the ground."
Gerald Farrow said it with a frown.
"Ha ha. A man like that is better still."
Who knew what was going through the mind of Elder Vayne beside him; his eyes had gone hot instead.
"It is not only his Pokémon I want now. The man himself as well."
Though this he said only in his own heart.
A man carrying two kinds of power — where was one to find such a thing? Here was a very good piece of experimental material, an extremely rare one at that.
Inside the Sacred Order there had been a call for it a long while since, and the plan had been held up simply because none could be found.
But by the look of this Gerald Farrow, was he about to draw back? That would not do at all.
"Farrow, are you thinking of backing out? You had better think it through. Your grandson has offended the man badly — no, has even shown an inclination to murder. If it were you, would you forgive it?"
Elder Vayne said it darkly, laying out a fact for him.
Gerald Farrow's face turned grim as he followed the thought.
Quite so. How could the man let it go? Judging another by himself, it was not possible.
So the only thing was to take him while he was still weak, and kill him to cut off the trouble at the root?
That seemed to be the only road; but by now he had shown talent of this order, a man with two powers and a competitor in the last eight of the Conference, so he must have come into the League's eye.
There was not so much room left for him to manoeuvre.
As though he had seen the hesitation, Elder Vayne said a few words at his ear.
Gerald Farrow's face went from overcast to clear, and he nodded, satisfied.
"The organisation happens to have a need of it, and I myself have taken to you, Farrow, as though we were old friends. Our Sacred Order will have a hand in this business; set your mind at rest."
Elder Vayne gave him that dose of reassurance. He had plans of his own.
What came of it afterwards he did not care to bother about, and did not care about.
To be rid of the League's number one genius by another man's methods, and at the same time deliver the organisation a first-rate piece of material — where was one to find anything so convenient?
While they were marvelling, Sandslash had brought the match to an end as well, and stood breathing hard, looking at the Bronzong lying on the ground before it.
Sandslash's presence fell away quickly, down to the Elite level.
And it carried wounds in a number of places, left by the exchange with the Bronzong just now.
"Damn it. Now I'm on the back foot."
Ronan said it gloomily, recalled the Bronzong, and then sent out a Golduck of peak Elite fighting strength.
His team held four Gym-class Pokémon in all, one Elite-Four-class Pokémon, and a good many Elite-class ones.
Sending out the Golduck at this moment was done with a certain calculation behind it.
Vance gave a small smile and recalled Sandslash into its Poké Ball.
That move was a bitter disappointment to him. He had supposed the man would not do it — that was how it had gone in the earlier matches — and this time it was the other way about, which made things hard; the position would be very difficult to retrieve.
"Zoroark, this is on you."
Having taken Sandslash off, Vance put Zoroark on.
How could Vance not be clear about what the man was thinking?
It was simply that he wanted the initiative back, and his chances of winning raised.
But that was not going to happen.