"Cynthia, what happened?"
Aaron heard the sudden sound of someone slamming a desk inside the office. Thinking Cynthia had run into some difficult matter, he hurriedly pushed the door open and came in.
Only to find...
"Aaron, you came at just the right time."
"???"
...
...
Kanto region, Indigo Plateau.
It was already the next day.
Two people stood in the main stadium of the Indigo League Conference.
That was right. They were Grey and the Masked Royal.
Green had also been swept one against six by the Masked Royal.
She had basically gotten no chance to fight back.
Green did not care about that result at all. In fact, she even felt it was normal.
After all, the Masked Royal was a Champion-level Trainer.
As for her, reaching Gym Leader level was already pretty good.
There was even an Elite Four level between them.
With that kind of gap in strength, she still wanted to win?
She might as well go home and sleep.
Because of that, Green happily sat in the audience seats and watched Grey's battle.
"Masked Royal, crush him hard for me!"
Green cheered for the Masked Royal.
Grey was confused.
Red and Blue held back their laughter.
"Haha, Gym Leader Grey's Gym apprentice really has quite the personality..."
The Masked Royal scratched the back of his head and could not help laughing a few times.
"Ahem, she's just too rebellious."
Grey could only shrug helplessly.
He really could not correct Green's rebellious streak.
He could only educate her properly later and teach her what it meant to respect her teacher.
"Masked Royal, this time, the battle rules will be chosen by you. May I ask what rules you choose for this battle?"
Lance stood in the Elite Four seats, looking down at the Masked Royal from above.
The conference winner was allowed to challenge the Elite Four.
Only this time, he first had to get through Grey.
Grey was basically the gatekeeper.
"I choose... a one-on-one battle."
The Masked Royal knew that Grey was very strong.
If it was a six-on-six battle, he might get swept one against six directly.
Besides, he had not really come here to defeat the Elite Four.
He only wanted to know the gap between himself and a Champion-level Trainer.
Then he would see whether it was possible to establish a Pokémon League afterward.
"A one-on-one battle..."
Grey took out a Poké Ball.
Inside was Annihilape.
This time, he did not intend to use Reshiram or Kyurem to bully the weaker opponent.
Instead, he would use Annihilape for a proper, straightforward battle.
"Very well. The Masked Royal has chosen the battle rules. This will be an official one-on-one battle. When one side's Pokémon loses the ability to battle, the match will end.
"Now, both Trainers, send out your Pokémon! The battle officially begins!"
"Annihilape, show the world how much you've improved!"
"Incineroar, show them the spirit of Alola!"
Both sides sent out their starter Pokémon.
The moment Incineroar appeared, cheers erupted throughout the stadium.
"Incineroar! Bring the heat!"
"The universe's number one adorable powerhouse Incineroar! Go!"
"Incineroar, show us the power of the god of one-on-one battles again!"
Clearly, during this Indigo League Conference, Incineroar's performance had captured everyone's hearts.
How could there be a Pokémon as cool as Incineroar?
As the humanoid tiger-like Pokémon appeared, Incineroar's information also surfaced before Grey's eyes.
Pokémon: Incineroar
Type: Fire, Dark
Level: 73
Ability: Blaze
Moves: Parting Shot, Fake Out... others omitted.
To be honest, Incineroar's typing did not give it an advantage. Instead, it was countered by Annihilape.
Fortunately, Incineroar's Ability was Blaze, not Intimidate. Otherwise, it would have let Annihilape trigger Defiant.
"A Champion main team-level Incineroar, about the same as my Annihilape. Looks like this will be an evenly matched battle."
Grey immediately judged the situation of this battle.
Since it was evenly matched, that meant the winner of this battle would depend on him.
"Annihilape, Curse!"
Thick Ghost-type energy instantly surged out around Annihilape, turning into a dark shadow spike that stabbed into its own body.
Before Incineroar even had time to react, that dark purple energy nail had already sunk into its chest.
The Masked Royal was stunned.
He was secretly shocked. He had never expected Grey's offense to be this fierce and decisive, giving him no chance to breathe at all.
But since he was a Champion-level Trainer, the Masked Royal immediately waved his hand and counterattacked, shouting, "Incineroar, Fake Out!"
"Roar!"
Incineroar suddenly kicked off the ground, its body turning into a red whirlwind.
Its muscular tiger palm tore through the air, carrying sharp palm wind as it went straight for Annihilape's face. Its speed was so fast that it left an afterimage behind it.
"Hm? Using Fake Out to close in on Annihilape? Good idea, but if we're trading blows in close combat, I won't lose. Annihilape, Drain Punch!"
Annihilape had just consumed most of its stamina. Naturally, what it needed to do now was recover the stamina it had spent.
"Ani!"
Annihilape had just raised its fist, Fighting-type energy blooming as it launched a fierce attack forward, when Incineroar had already sidestepped to dodge.
Its arms crossed and spread open. Pitch-black Dark-type energy wrapped around its arms like flames, and its entire body began spinning at high speed, stirring up sharp currents of air.
The Dark-type move, Darkest Lariat!
Boom!
Incineroar's spinning body carried tremendous force as its arms, wrapped in Dark-type energy, slammed heavily into Annihilape's chest.
The violent impact made Annihilape stagger backward, its feet carving two deep marks into the ground.
"The power is acceptable. But you made one mistake."
Grey raised his eyes and looked at the Masked Royal.
"Going into close combat with Annihilape is a dead end."
Although that heavy blow had astonishing power, it also exposed an opening.
The light of Drain Punch in Annihilape's hand had never faded. After forcefully taking the attack, it countered with a precise uppercut, smashing hard into Incineroar's jaw.
Incineroar roared in pain as a soft green glow appeared around its body.
That was the effect of Drain Punch. It could turn the damage dealt by the user into healing energy and restore stamina.
The healing energy flowed backward along Annihilape's arm before it had even withdrawn it. It looked like spreading vines coiling around Incineroar's body, transforming the damage it had just caused into surging vitality that replenished Annihilape's spent stamina.
In an instant, much of the stamina Annihilape had consumed earlier was restored, bringing it back to a healthy state.
Furthermore, Fighting-type moves were super effective against Incineroar's Dark typing.
Close combat would only make Incineroar suffer a huge loss.
The Masked Royal could only shout loudly, "Incineroar, use Will-O-Wisp to force it back!"
"Roar!"
Incineroar was about to open its mouth and spray ghostly blue flames, but Annihilape suddenly clapped in a strange rhythm.
That sound wave was like invisible shackles, forcing Incineroar to swallow Will-O-Wisp back down. Its body then spun uncontrollably again.
"Encore?!"
As a Pokémon Professor, the Masked Royal knew this was the forced effect of Encore.
Now, Incineroar had no choice but to repeat Darkest Lariat.
Annihilape, however, had already prepared for this.
The moment Incineroar began spinning, it took half a step back.
When that whirlwind wrapped in Dark-type energy came rushing in again, Annihilape had already withdrawn from its attack range.
"Now! Annihilape, use Earthquake!"
Annihilape suddenly lifted its foot and stomped down heavily. The entire field trembled, and cracks spread outward like spiderwebs.
Violent seismic waves erupted from underground, rippling in every direction and accurately slamming into Incineroar while it was still spinning.
"Roar..."
Incineroar instantly lost its balance. The power coming from beneath its feet shook its internal organs until they seemed to churn.
It barely managed to stabilize itself, only to see Annihilape's second wave of Earthquake arrive right after.
This time, the Ground-type energy was even more ferocious, surging layer upon layer like a tsunami, leaving it nowhere to dodge.
This smooth little combo could catch many Pokémon off guard.
"Lorelei, if it were you, how confident would you be in breaking through this tactic?"
Outside the field, Lance asked his colleague Lorelei.
"Difficult. Very difficult. Grey's tactic relies on catching you by surprise the first time you see it. Even if you know Grey has this tactic, finding a way to win against it is still difficult."
Lorelei had no doubts and gave her answer on the spot.
"Indeed. Gym Leader Grey's tactics are all about being impossible to guard against. Especially opening with Curse, then following up with Encore. It completely leaves people unsure how to fight."
Bruno spoke up and explained.
He had fought against this Annihilape before.
He had even been solo-swept by it.
This Pokémon's strength was not as simple as being Champion main team-level.
It was probably close to the impact of Blue's personally trained Machamp.
"That really is one good trick carrying him everywhere."
Lance sighed.
...
...
"Roar..."
After several rounds of fierce exchanges, Incineroar was already covered in wounds.
It forced itself to stand, every injury on its body aching faintly. Its heavy breathing sounded especially clear in the silent stadium.
Normally speaking, Incineroar should have fallen long ago.
However, the item the Masked Royal had given Incineroar was a Sitrus Berry.
After eating the Sitrus Berry, Incineroar had managed to stay on the field for several more rounds.
Of course, relying only on a Sitrus Berry would not allow it to stay on the field for a long time.
"Roar!" (I haven't fallen yet. I haven't lost! As long as my stamina hasn't drained away, I can keep standing on this field!)
Incineroar gritted its teeth, its trembling legs stubbornly supporting its body.
An unyielding flame burned in its eyes. A low growl came from its throat, and every muscle in its body seemed to speak of a will that absolutely refused to admit defeat.
Ability: Blaze!
The Ability of starter Pokémon could allow them to unleash unprecedented power in critical situations, far stronger than usual.
It truly was the perfect Ability for turning the tables in adversity.
"This guy's fighting spirit is pretty strong. It's a qualified warrior."
Grey looked at Incineroar for a long, long time before giving his assessment.
When it came to refusing to give up, Incineroar had already earned everyone's recognition.
"The next move will be Flare Blitz, Blast Burn? Or maybe..."
Grey narrowed his eyes.
He was ready to face it.
Since this was going to be the finish, he naturally had to face it with his full strength.
The Masked Royal also understood that.
But he did not intend to use an ordinary move.
Whoosh!
The Masked Royal suddenly raised his left arm, revealing the Z-Ring on his wrist, embedded with a dazzling diamond-shaped crystal.
When he placed his right hand over it, the ring suddenly burst with red light as brilliant as the sun. Countless particles of light danced around him like sparks.
He stepped into a unique dance, each turn drawing the flow of energy along with it. His clothes fluttered sharply within the stream of light.
When the dance reached its climax, he spread his arms and roared toward the sky, then crossed them in front of his body.
"Incineroar, burn! Let the flames of victory ignite the whole field!"
Following that shout, the red particles of light gathered into a torrent and surged toward Incineroar.
Its battered body immediately ignited with golden-red flames. Its tiger stripes flowed like lava within the firelight, and the crown of flames on its forehead burst with radiance so brilliant that no one dared look straight at it.
The air across the entire field warped under the high temperature. The audience at the edge of the stands raised their hands one after another to shield themselves from the scorching light.
This was a Z-Move.
Firium Z, Inferno Overdrive!
Combined with its Ability, Blaze, its power would only become stronger.
"Roar!" (This is my full power!)
Incineroar compressed the flames around its body into an enormous fireball. Then it used all its strength to suddenly push that blazing sphere forward.
Wherever it passed, even the air began to burn.
"Annihilape, use Rage Fist!"
Facing this earth-shaking attack, the Ghost-type energy wrapped around Annihilape's arms churned violently. Countless grudges and fighting spirit condensed into the giant phantom of a fist.
That dark purple mass of energy continued swelling, forming a sharp contrast with the incoming fireball.
Rumble!
When the Rage Fist, carrying all that fury, violently collided with the Inferno Overdrive that could burn everything to ash, the entire stadium was split into two clearly divided halves.
The left half was surging underworld-purple mist.
The right half was a burning sea of golden-red fire.
"How is that possible?! A Z-Move actually failed to overpower an ordinary move?!"
The Masked Royal's pupils contracted violently. Under the mask, his face was filled with disbelief.
As a Fire-type Z-Move, Inferno Overdrive had a terrifying base power of 180. It should have crushed everything.
Yet at this moment, the Rage Fist released by Annihilape was like the mouth of an abyss, constantly devouring the blazing blast. The dark purple fist shadow even faintly showed signs of pushing back.
This was completely beyond his expectations.
"Mr. Masked Royal, you're surprised, aren't you? There's something I'd like to explain to you."
Grey smiled and said, "Although Rage Fist has a base power of only 50, each time the user takes damage, its power increases by 50, up to a maximum of 350. I think after I explain it like this, you should understand what happened, right?"
"You deliberately had Annihilape take Incineroar's moves earlier, then used Drain Punch to restore its stamina, all for this moment, didn't you?"
The Masked Royal immediately understood.
He had never thought that the trump card he took pride in, his grand finale Z-Move, would be broken like this.
It really made one sigh with emotion...
"So, in your eyes, the result of this battle was already clear, wasn't it?"
The Masked Royal looked at Grey.
"Indeed."
Grey nodded lightly.
//Check out my P@tre0n for 30 extra chapters on all my fanfics //[email protected]/Razeil0810.