Alex waited for almost 30 minutes before his match was finally called.
A staff member soon approached and led both him and Walter toward the arena entrance.
As they walked side by side through the corridor, Alex took the opportunity to get a better look at his opponent.
Walter appeared to be in his early thirties and stood slightly taller than Alex. He had short dark-brown hair, tanned skin, and a sturdy build that suggested years of outdoor travel and training. His face was somewhat rough around the edges, with a strong jawline and several faint scars that hinted at a long career as a Pokémon Trainer.
Most notably, Walter carried himself with a calm confidence. There was no visible nervousness in his expression.
The two trainers followed the staff member out of the waiting room and into one of the corridors leading toward the battlefield.
After a short walk, the staff member stopped and said, "Participant Number 18 will enter first. Participant Number 3, please wait here for a moment."
Alex nodded and watched as Walter walked through the entrance tunnel and stepped into the arena.
As soon as Walter appeared, a wave of applause and cheers erupted from the audience. Many spectators immediately recognized him.
It seemed that Walter was relatively well-known in Hoenn.
A few moments later, it was Alex's turn. The staff member gestured toward the entrance, and Alex calmly walked onto the battlefield.
The moment he appeared, another round of applause spread throughout the arena.
Although Walter received a warm welcome, Alex's reception was even louder. Many spectators stood up from their seats, cheering and calling out his name.
Alex ignored the noise and walked toward his side of the battlefield before stopping opposite Walter.
Walter looked at Alex and asked with a grin, "Will you use your Ditto again to make things exciting for the viewers?"
Alex gave a relaxed smile as he answered, "No. I'll use the Pokémon that gives me the best chance of winning."
Walter scratched the back of his head and said, "Oh, really? I thought you youngsters were supposed to be more adventurous."
Alex looked at him and replied calmly, "Although I'm not sure how honestly you're asking that question, I'll answer honestly. I always do what I think is right, not what other people expect me to do."
Walter's eyes narrowed slightly. "That's a dangerous attitude, You can't always do what you want."
Alex shrugged. "Maybe."
He had no interest in continuing the conversation.
For some reason, Walter gave him a strange feeling. Not a dangerous feeling—but an odd one.
The man also seemed to be trying to probe him for something rather than simply making conversation. Alex therefore ended the discussion before it could go any further.
Walter seemed to notice this and merely smiled before turning his attention back toward the Arena.
A few moments later, the referee stepped forward and raised his arm.
The audience gradually fell silent.
When the entire arena had quieted down, the referee swung his arm downward and shouted, "Release your Pokémon!"
Both trainers immediately threw their Poké Balls.
Two flashes of light appeared on opposite sides of the battlefield as the first Pokémon of the match emerged.
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Pokémon: Scizor
LV: 58
Type: Bug / Steel
Abilities: Technician
Gender: Male
Potential: Shallow Diamond (0%)
Moves:
- Leer, Quick Attack, Focus Energy [E], Double Team, Feint, Fury Cutter, Wing Attack, Agility [E], Slash, Razor Wind, Iron Defense, X-Scissor [E], Night Slash, Bullet punch, Double Hit, Iron Head, Brick Break [E],
- (Perfect Talent) Roost [M], (Perfect Talent) Metal Claw [M],
- (TM) Protect [E], (TM) Swords Dance [M], (TM) Toxic, (TM) Thief, (TM) Facade, (TM) Giga Impact [E], (TM) U-turn [M], (TM) Sandstorm [M], (TM) Substitute, (TM) Safeguard, (TM) Light Screen, (TM) Return, (TM) Aerial Ace [E], (TM) Acrobatics,
-----------
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Pokémon: Aerodactyl
LV: 54
Type: Rock/Flying
Abilities: Pressure
Gender: Male
Potential: Gold (55%)
Move:
- Bite, Wing Attack, Roar, Supersonic, Rock Throw, Agility [M], Ancient Power [M], Take Down, Crunch, Rock Slide [E],
- (Innate Talent) Iron Head [M], (Innate Talent) Fly [M], (Innate Talent) Steel Wing
- (TM) Protect [E], (TM) Hyper Beam, (TM) Facade, (TM) Stone Edge, (TM) Payback, (TM) Substitute, (TM) Roar, (TM) Toxic [M], (TM) Taunt [E]
---------------
Alex looked at Aerodactyl's moves at the Master Rank and felt that his planned tactic should now work 100%.
Scizor wasn't a hard counter, but it had a super-effective move and shouldn't have any trouble winning given the slight advantage.
The referee raised his hand and shouted, "3, 2, 1, Go!"
Walter quickly said, "Use Agility."
Scizor began preparing a move without waiting for Alex's command, starting slightly earlier than Aerodactyl.
Scizor finished first and used Swords Dance.
Seeing this, Walter wore a serious expression. He knew that Scizor could now almost certainly defeat his Pokémon with 1 super-effective Master Rank move.
He knew he couldn't let the speed advantage slip away.
Walter said, "Use Agility again."
Alex said nothing and showed no particular reaction, even though he felt Walter had made a mistake.
Although Aerodactyl had a real chance of winning the match with a significant enough speed advantage, it was an extremely risky tactic.
Scizor needed only one move—something unavoidable and with decent range—and Aerodactyl would lose instantly.
Unfortunately, Scizor's only option was Aerial Ace, which was merely Expert Rank and even not effective against Aerodactyl.
Alex was aware of Scizor's weakness but maintained a calm expression. He had a plan to win the match with 100% certainty.
Scizor finished first again and used Swords Dance once more.
Walter looked confused. He couldn't understand why Scizor was using Swords Dance again.
It was complete overkill.
Scizor immediately began preparing a new move, remaining stationary.
Aerodactyl was still far enough away to dodge almost any ranged attack; seeing that Scizor wasn't moving, it maintained that distance.
Aerodactyl finished its second move and used Agility again. Walter realized something was wrong with Scizor and called out, "Wait, use..."
But before he could finish his sentence, Scizor had already executed his move.
Scizor moved incredibly fast toward Aerodactyl, leapt into the air as soon as the opponent was within range, and slammed into him with his body.
Aerodactyl fell unconscious to the ground, and Scizor ended the battle without taking any damage.
Scizor used Bullet Punch, a move that allowed it to bypass Aerodactyl's significant speed advantage.
Although moves like Bullet Punch and Quick Attack generally deal little damage, that was not the case here.
Bullet Punch was not only a highly effective move but was also boosted by two Master Rank Swords Dances. Then there was the level difference, which also played a huge role.
Combined with STAB and Scizor's Technician Ability, the move was extremely powerful—even at the Normal Rank.
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if the story total of 250 powerstones in 24 hours, I will upload 1 bonus chapter tomorrow.
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