"Although I've seen it many times, I still feel like this Pokémon is so bizarre."
In the spectator stands, people were whispering among themselves.
However, there wasn't a trace of nervousness on Ariel's face.
Instead, the corners of his mouth curled into an almost imperceptible arc.
"Gyarados, Dragon Dance!"
Lance did not hesitate and gave the order decisively.
No matter what the opponent was, strengthening oneself first was never wrong.
Gyarados let out a roar, and red currents of air swirled around its body as its speed and attack power began to climb.
Just then, Ariel spoke, his voice not loud, yet exceptionally clear.
"Malamar, Hypnosis."
The glowing organs on top of Malamar's body began to flash rhythmically, and its body swayed gently with a peculiar rhythm, like a roly-poly toy.
An invisible wave instantly enveloped Gyarados, which was in the middle of Dragon Dance.
Gyarados's movements stalled.
The world before its eyes began to twist and spin.
The figure of the Malamar opposite it became blurry, splitting into two, four, eight... countless Malamar floated before its eyes, and the entire world seemed to have turned into a kaleidoscope.
"Roar!!"
Gyarados let out an angry and confused roar. It attempted a Dragon Tail sweep, but it hit nothing, its massive tail smashing into the arena floor and sending countless stones flying.
It hadn't fallen asleep.
But its vision had been completely disrupted!
"Now!" A sharp light flashed in Ariel's eyes. "Psycho Cut!"
Pale purple light lit up the tips of Malamar's tentacles. With a gentle wave, several blades of Confusion, difficult to track with the naked eye, sliced through the air and struck Gyarados's massive body precisely!
"Awoo!"
In pain, Gyarados let out a pained roar.
Several deep scratches appeared on its scales!
Gyarados, with its astonishing physical defense, appeared exceptionally fragile in the face of Psychic-type attacks!
"Damn it!" Lance's expression changed. "Gyarados, break free, use Hyper Beam!"
He attempted to use a powerful energy blast to forcibly break through this hallucinatory state.
Enduring its chaotic vision, Gyarados opened its massive maw, and golden energy began to gather frantically.
However, its target seemed to drift near and far in its field of vision; it couldn't Lock-On at all.
"Too late." Ariel's voice sounded like a final judgment. "Dark Pulse!"
A black light flashed across Malamar's eyes.
Rings of Dark Pulses, exuding an ominous aura like ripples on water, spread rapidly, one after another, striking the charging Gyarados with precision!
Hum—
Dark-type energy invaded its body, not only causing damage but, more importantly, interrupting the charge of Hyper Beam!
The energy spiraled out of control in Gyarados's mouth, causing a small-scale explosion!
"Roar!!!"
Black smoke billowed from Gyarados's mouth, and it let out its most painful roar yet.
Chaotic vision, mental lacerations, coupled with internal injuries from the energy backlash, had plunged this ferocious behemoth into an unprecedented predicament.
At this moment, its massive size had instead become its greatest weakness.
It simply couldn't dodge Malamar's seemingly effortless, yet lethal, attacks!
"Continue, Psycho Cut!"
"Dark Pulse!"
Ariel's orders were calm and cruel.
Malamar floated in place like an elegant conductor; every time its tentacles waved, they unleashed a lethal blade of Confusion.
Every time its eyes flashed, they released a ring of mind-corroding Dark Pulse.
One after another.
Ring after ring.
Gyarados's massive body became an immobile living target, constantly wailing under the continuous barrage of attacks.
It thrashed its body wildly, using Hydro Pump and Dragon Tail to attack its surroundings indiscriminately, wrecking the entire arena, yet it couldn't even touch a corner of Malamar.
The audience was stunned.
The scene before them completely overturned their understanding.
Why did it feel like his moves were free?
That incredibly ferocious blue Gyarados, which had left Weavile completely helpless, was now being toyed with by a strange-looking Malamar!
This was no longer a battle.
This was… a one-sided execution!
"It's over."
Looking at the battered Gyarados, which was now swaying as it floated in the air, Ariel gave the final order.
"Maximum power, Psycho Cut!"
All of Malamar's tentacles lit up with a blinding purple light simultaneously. This time, instead of scattered blades, all the Confusion energy converged into a massive blade several meters long!
Whoosh!
The giant blade of Confusion tore through the sky, leaving a clear trail in the air. With the momentum to end everything, it slashed fiercely at Gyarados's neck!
"Awoo…"
Gyarados's pained cry ceased abruptly.
The last spark of light in its massive eyes extinguished completely.
Its massive body, coiled in mid-air, stiffened for a moment, then, like a kite with a broken string, it fell helplessly from the sky.
Boom!!!
Its massive body slammed into the crater it had previously created, kicking up clouds of dust.
The entire arena was silent.
Everyone held their breath, staring intently at the dust.
As the dust slowly cleared, Gyarados's huge body lay there quietly, motionless, its eyes already spiraling.
The referee raised the flag high and used all his strength to roar out the result that sent the entire stadium into a frenzy:
"Gyarados is unable to battle! The winner is Malamar!"
However, the expected roar of the crowd did not come.
Everyone in the stands looked as if they had been choked, staring fixedly at the two Trainers confronting each other on the field.
Ariel, with two Pokémon remaining: the Malamar in perfect condition, and that Gyarados capable of Mega Evolution.
Lance, with only his last Dragonite remaining.
Two against one, and one of them was a Mega Evolution ace.
No matter how you looked at it, this was a situation where Ariel had victory in the bag.
The scales of victory had tipped to an irreversible point.
But just at this moment.
"Hahahaha!"
Lance suddenly threw his head back and laughed, his voice loud and resonant, piercing through the entire Ever Grande Conference venue and shattering the frozen silence.
There was not a hint of dejection in this laughter; instead, it was filled with indescribable ecstasy and fighting spirit.
Everyone was bewildered.
The commentator in the booth opened their mouth but couldn't say a word, only awkwardly adjusting their headset, trying to get a hint from the director.
This script wasn't right; the one with the advantage was calm and composed, while the one at a disadvantage was laughing like a winner?
Lance's laughter gradually subsided. His sharp, dragon-like eyes locked onto Ariel, the light within them hotter than ever before.
"Ariel, you are truly excellent."
His voice wasn't loud, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly.
"Young, yet possessing top-tier strength. To be honest, I didn't care about losing the previous few matches because I have it!"
Lance slapped his chest hard, the arrogance and pride in his tone almost becoming tangible.
"As long as it is here! No matter how many enemies there are, I can tear them to shreds! I originally thought that this Ever Grande Conference final wouldn't require me to use it to secure the win, but now, you've pushed me to this point."
He paused, the arc of his mouth becoming even more flamboyant.
"So, the match is over!"
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