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"Boom! Boom!"
The two figures crashed into the ground simultaneously, creating two large craters in the battlefield.
The referee, reporter, and Master Keaton all watched with anticipation.
They were waiting for the final outcome.
Chris, however, already knew—what had fallen from the sky was not Mega Garchomp, but Garchomp, meaning it had lost the ability to continue battling.
The only remaining suspense was whether Dragonite could still fight.
Above, the ice crystals shattered, and a frost-like rain descended over the battlefield.
Amid the icy drizzle, Dragonite pushed itself up with both arms, rising slowly until it finally stood tall.
"Aww!!!" Dragonite roared, declaring its victory.
"Garchomp is unable to battle! Dragonite wins!" the referee announced.
Chris observed the fine scale patterns on Dragonite's body, deep in thought, yet also filled with uncertainty.
Master Keaton's Dragonite had the hidden Ability "Multiscale."
Multiscale: When HP is full, the damage taken is reduced to half.
It was precisely because of this Ability that Dragonite had survived Mega Garchomp's Dragon Rush. However, it had still sustained serious injuries.
This was why Master Keaton had used the Ice-type Z-Move "Subzero Slammer" right from the start.
He knew that if Dragonite unleashed the Ice-type Z-Move, Chris would be forced into an all-or-nothing counterattack.
At that point, Chris would still have two Pokémon remaining, while Master Keaton would be left with only one.
Thus, Master Keaton had chosen to force a decisive clash before Dragonite's Multiscale could take effect.
So far, his tactical plan had been executed flawlessly.
Although Chris had initially gained an advantage, Master Keaton had managed to reclaim control—though at the cost of Dragonite being severely injured. Still, this didn't change the situation; Chris had two remaining Pokémon yet to be revealed, and all he needed to do was send out a fresh one.
"Let's go, Hariyama!" Chris withdrew Garchomp and released his next Pokémon.
A Shiny Hariyama emerged onto the battlefield.
The reporters, already overwhelmed, instinctively kept pressing their camera shutters.
Another Shiny Pokémon? Just how lucky was Chris?
Though a Shiny Hariyama wasn't as popular as a Shiny Gyarados, it was still an extremely rare sight.
"A Fighting-type?" Master Keaton was unconcerned about the fact that it was Shiny. What caught his attention was Chris's choice—sending out a Pokémon that was naturally weak to Flying and Dragonite's attacks.
Did Chris really not have a better option?
Master Keaton had a nagging suspicion that Chris was setting a trap.
To play it safe, he should switch Dragonite out for a Pokémon in better condition.
But… as Master Keaton locked eyes with Chris again, he hesitated.
Chris's gaze was burning with confidence. He wasn't launching an immediate attack—he was waiting for Master Keaton to make the first move.
"Is he trying to bait me with Pursuit?" Master Keaton guessed.
A few tense seconds passed before Chris suddenly spoke. "Master Keaton, not switching? If you don't switch, I'll start attacking!"
"Hariyama, Aura Sphere!"
Hariyama extended its broad palm, and a blue Aura Sphere began to form, quickly growing to the size of a soccer ball… then a basketball… then a millstone!
Master Keaton's pupils shrank. This Hariyama's control over Aura was far stronger than expected.
No, he had to switch out Dragonite! Even with type resistance, the heavily injured Dragonite wouldn't survive this attack!
Master Keaton hastily grabbed Dragonite's Poké Ball to recall it.
Seeing this, Chris burst into laughter. "Throw it!"
Hariyama attacked immediately, launching the massive Aura Sphere into the air, sending it hurtling toward Master Keaton.
Gritting his teeth, Master Keaton threw out his next Poké Ball. In a flash of light, Arcanine appeared.
"Woof!!" Arcanine roared as it landed, its Intimidate Ability triggering and cutting Hariyama's physical attack in half.
However, Intimidate had no effect on the already-launched Aura Sphere—its energy couldn't be deterred.
Chris had anticipated that Master Keaton would switch in Arcanine, so he timed his attack perfectly to strike as the Pokémon entered the battlefield.
The enormous, millstone-sized Aura Sphere struck Arcanine head-on.
"Boom!" A massive explosion erupted in front of Master Keaton.
When the smoke cleared, a two-meter-deep crater was left in the battlefield. Arcanine lay unconscious at the center, its body motionless, its swirling eyes confirming that it had fainted.
It had been one-shot!
Master Keaton's eyes widened in disbelief.
His Arcanine had fought against Greninja earlier but had been withdrawn before taking any real damage—it had entered this battle at full strength. And yet, despite having no type disadvantage, it had been taken down in a single hit by Hariyama?
Impossible!
Could Chris's Shiny Hariyama truly possess such overwhelming attack power?
A small smirk appeared on Chris's face.
This strategy—this was a brutal takedown. The Black Belt item had played a crucial role.
Ordinarily, Hariyama wouldn't have been able to one-shot Arcanine, which boasted high physical bulk.
However, Chris had three Fighting-type Badges in his possession:
The Knuckle Badge from Dewford Gym in Hoenn The Rumble Badge from Shalour Gym in Kalos The Storm Badge from Cianwood Gym in Johto
These three Badges together provided a 30% boost to Fighting-type moves.
On top of that, Hariyama was holding a Black Belt, which increased Fighting-type move power by 40%, plus the 50% boost from it being the first fighting type move in 24 hours.
When combined, Hariyama's Aura Sphere had 220% of its normal power!
Even without type advantage, the sheer strength exceeded what a super-effective move could accomplish.
Given Hariyama's raw power and the lack of Intimidate's effect on Aura Sphere, it was possible to one-shot Arcanine—even if there were several levels of difference between them.
"Arcanine is unable to battle! Hariyama wins!" the referee declared.
Once again, the battle had taken a sharp turn.
The advantage that Master Keaton had gained through Dragonite's endurance had now been completely overturned by Chris.
Neither side was willing to give an inch—this battle was all about precision and strategy!
"It's been a long time since I've had such an intense match," Master Keaton said, rolling his shoulders.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a Poké Ball—one that looked slightly different from the others.
He adjusted his cap, and as if responding to his energy, the Poké Ball suddenly expanded in size, growing so large that he had to hold it with both hands.
"Time to bring out my trump card!"
"Let's go, old friend!"
With a powerful toss, the oversized Poké Ball flew through the air. As it burst open in a flash of silver light, a towering, four-armed titan emerged onto the battlefield.
Master Keaton's ace Pokémon had arrived.
Dynamax Machamp!