"A newly developed technique?" Harrison asked as they exited the arena, his eyebrows still raised in disbelief.
John had unleashed what should have been his trump card right at the match's start, a move so devastating it had to be a recent innovation being field-tested under tournament pressure.
"Yeah, we've only practiced it once or twice," John replied with a casual shrug that belied the move's destructive power. "It seems to be quite effective."
"'Quite effective' is like calling a Snorlax 'slightly heavy,'" Harrison said, shaking his head. "Every Gym Leader who faces you from now on will need an entire playbook just for that move!"
Harrison couldn't hide his astonishment at the unusual Aura Sphere John's Hariyama had unleashed. Its penetrating power was extraordinary, combined with a blast radius that would make even Electrode jealous and an impact force that could probably level small buildings, plus the ability to track targets with the persistence of a shopkeeper chasing a shoplifter.
Within the confines of a battle arena, even Teleport was about as useful as bringing a spoon to a gunfight.
Even if opponents managed to Teleport away, the psychological impact of facing such a technique would have them sleeping with the lights on for weeks.
The Gym Leaders who had witnessed the battle, especially the three who had already crushed their opponents and might face John next, now regarded him as their most formidable potential adversary. Several were already mentally drafting countermeasures while nervously tugging at their collars.
Cameron's defeat would serve as a cautionary tale for them all. Or more accurately, a horror story.
John was actually looking forward to seeing what strategies the other Gym Leaders might cook up to counter his Spiral Aura Sphere. He wasn't worried about others finding weaknesses in the technique, in fact, he welcomed the opportunity to discover optimization paths for the move.
Besides, even if the Aura Sphere eventually got countered, his other Pokemon each had their own specialized techniques ready to rain down fresh new varieties of doom.
That evening after dinner, John and Harrison visited Cameron in the recovery area.
He had fully recovered. While the Spiral Aura Sphere's power had been tremendous, it had already been weakened by two Pokemon and their defensive moves before striking Cameron directly. Additionally, Slowking had used Light Screen and positioned itself like a living shield to absorb much of the shockwave's impact.
Consequently, Cameron had merely been knocked unconscious rather than turned into a human-shaped crater in the ground.
A single Heal Pulse from the medical team's Pokemon had been enough to restore him to full health, though probably not his dignity.
Nevertheless, a visit seemed appropriate as a gesture of sportsmanship.
"Don't worry about it," Cameron said with a dismissive wave when John expressed concern. "Injuries are part of the Tournament. I didn't sustain any real damage."
Despite his casual demeanor, a competitive fire burned in his eyes with the intensity of a Charizard with indigestion. "If you're willing, perhaps we could arrange a private rematch sometime?"
Having three Pokemon defeated by a single Aura Sphere, and being knocked out himself, had clearly wounded his pride worse than the actual attack.
Cameron was undoubtedly already planning a different approach for their next encounter. If they battled again, he certainly wouldn't make the mistake of facing Hariyama's specialized Aura Sphere head-on. No, next time he'd probably be hiding behind the arena's sturdiest wall.
John readily agreed to the future rematch, though Cameron didn't suggest a specific date, likely wanting time to study John's capabilities more thoroughly first. Or possibly to update his will.
Later that evening, John rented a specialized training facility from the Trainer Association, their highest-specification arena, capable of withstanding attacks from lower-tier Elite Four Pokemon. The regular facilities had politely but firmly declined after hearing what move he wanted to practice.
This was specifically to continue refining Hariyama's Spiral Aura Sphere. Standard training venues with ordinary targets simply couldn't handle the technique's power without turning into modern art installations.
After additional testing, John confirmed that the power of the Spiral Aura Sphere, enhanced by the Fighting-type , had indeed reached Elite Four level.
Hariyama had become the second Pokemon in John's lineup to achieve Elite-level offensive capability, much to everyone's surprise, including Hariyama's.
"I never expected Hariyama to complete this development leap so quickly," John mused, genuinely surprised.
All the Pokemon in his team considered themselves combat specialists. After Greninja had achieved Elite-level power with the elemental orbs, each had been striving to become the second Pokemon in the lineup to reach that threshold.
Yet unexpectedly, Hariyama who often served as the team's cook rather than a frontline battler, had claimed that distinction, accidentally becoming the Pokemon equivalent of a celebrity chef with unexpectedly deadly knife skills.
This development had a profoundly motivating effect on the others. "Motivating" in the same way that finding out your casual gaming friend secretly won a national Gameboy championship would be.
They trained regularly while Hariyama prepared meals for the team. Now, despite their focused combat training, they hadn't reached Elite-level power, yet Hariyama had?
Why? How?
John's Pokemon were understandably confused, questioning their own training methods with the existential dread of college seniors watching a freshman ace the final exam.
It was a natural reaction, like studying diligently for three years to get into a prestigious university, only to watch a classmate who had spent two years working in the campus cafeteria somehow gain admission to an even more elite institution while flipping burgers.
Each of John's Pokemon was now reflecting on their training approach over the past year, wondering if they should consider careers in food service.
What John understood, however, was that Hariyama's training had been no less intensive than that of his primary battle team.
John had once given Hariyama specific instructions: to incorporate aura energy into cooking.
When kneading dough, chopping ingredients, washing vegetables, and stirring pots, Hariyama consistently channeled aurar. Over time, this integration of aura energy into everyday tasks had naturally elevated its control to a level surpassing even Greninja's capabilities. In retrospect, perhaps having Greninja focus on creating the perfect water balloon fights hadn't been the optimal training regimen.
Of course, Hariyama's natural affinity for aura manipulation had been a significant factor as well. Some Pokemon are just born with it.
"Everyone, keep up your efforts!" John encouraged his team, clapping his hands enthusiastically.
"Char!" "Garrr!" "Venu!" His Pokemon responded enthusiastically, their spirits undimmed. They all had good relationships with Hariyama and were genuinely happy for their teammate's achievement. No one mentioned the suspicious disappearance of Hariyama's celebratory cake.
Besides, if second place was already taken, they would simply compete for third! Or as Aggron grumbled to Venusaur, "Bronze medals still look shiny if you polish them enough."
Aggron, Venusaur, and the other Pokemon exchanged determined glances. The top-tier members were pushing themselves to new heights of destructive power. Meanwhile, the second-tier team members adopted a more pragmatic approach, first surpassing the first-tier members in overall combat effectiveness before aiming higher.
Everyone threw themselves into training with renewed vigor. Though the environment was unfamiliar, the competitive atmosphere spurred them to greater motivation. Nothing says "try harder" like watching your chef friend accidentally become an elite warrior.
While supervising his Pokemon's training, John's phone rang. Checking the display, he saw it was Damian, the Ghost type Elite Four, causing him to momentarily wonder if he had somehow sensed the disturbance in the force created by Hariyama's new move.
"Hello, Damien. What can I do for you?" John answered.
"Are you free during July and August?" Damian's voice came through clearly, with the directness of someone who considers small talk an inefficient use of oxygen.
"I don't have any specific commitments scheduled," John replied. Normally, his calendar would only include regular Gym duties during those months, plus the occasional existential crisis about his career trajectory.
"Then clear your schedule," he commanded, in a tone that suggested she'd already done it for him. "Our mentor has pulled some strings to secure you a position at the Avian Sanctuary. You'll be doing a two-month retreat there."