"Then I choose you—Lady Florges!"
Chen Shi's voice rang clear as he lifted a Poké Ball from his belt.
A soft click.
A bloom of red light.
And then—she appeared.
A graceful, elegant Florges, blooming like a garden in full spring.
"Flaa~"
She whispered gently, hands folded at her chest. With a serene smile, she stepped forward and dipped into a refined curtsy toward her opponent—the menacing Hydreigon.
But the three-headed dragon didn't appreciate the courtesy.
Instead, all three maws opened wide, unleashing a murderous roar that shook the battlefield.
Florges merely kept her soft smile.
Untouched. Unrattled.
The referee lifted a hand.
"World Championships Grand Finals—Round One… begin!"
Lance reacted instantly.
"Hydreigon, use Nasty Plot!"
To him, this was only logical. Florges was merely early Elite-tier. Even if she could undergo some strange kind of evolution, it would take time.
And if she couldn't?
Even better—Hydreigon would sweep her aside after a boost.
No matter how Lance looked at it, he believed this opening was all profit.
He didn't even consider the threat of Florges' offense.
A mistake he would regret.
Hydreigon's eyes glimmered as a dark question mark appeared above its head.
Chen Shi chuckled softly.
"They seem to be underestimating us, Lady Florges."
"Flaa~"
She nodded lightly.
"Then let's show them the price of doing that."
His smile sharpened.
"Shine—Lady Florges!"
"Flaa~!"
Fairy energy surged.
A dazzling radiance burst from her body—expanding like a newborn sun, scraping the surface of the arena clean as it blasted straight into Hydreigon.
The boost broke instantly.
Hydreigon let out a tortured howl as searing Fairy energy clung to its body like burning petals.
"Hydreigon!"
Lance couldn't hide his shock.
He had never imagined an early Elite Florges could injure his mid-Elite Hydreigon like this with a single move.
The announcer's voice cracked with excitement.
"Unbelievable! Lady Florges just used a move we've never seen before—
And with only ONE attack, she's heavily injured a mid-Elite Hydreigon!"
The crowd erupted—cheers, gasps, screams.
The arena shook with disbelief.
Inside the rest room, Steven's eyes were razor sharp.
Early Elite Florges nearly crippling a mid-Elite Hydreigon in one hit?
Impossible—
Unless…
Unless that move was four times super effective.
Which meant—
Lady Florges had just used a move belonging to an entirely new, unknown Pokémon type.
The eighteenth type.
Steven drew in a deep breath, heart pounding.
"Chen Shi… you monster."
Chen Shi simply laughed.
"Underestimating Lady Florges comes with a price, Lance."
He raised his hand.
"Do you know? Sometimes—knowledge itself is power."
Lance froze.
"Knowledge… is power?"
Chen Shi nodded lightly.
"Lady Florges—again. Dazzling Gleam."
"Flaa~!"
Another flash.
Another explosion of brilliance.
Lance shielded his eyes—
And Hydreigon shrieked, a raw, broken scream tearing through the arena.
This time the Fairy light scorched its fur pitch-black, as if burned by a divine flame.
The pain was unbearable—Hydreigon trembled, vision blurring…
He swore, for a moment, he saw his great-grandmother waving him over.
"Hydreigon! Don't give up! Stand up—we still have our pride!"
Lance bellowed desperately.
Hearing his Trainer, Hydreigon forced its trembling wings to beat.
It rose shakily off the ground.
"Yes! Hydreigon—that's it!"
"Use Dragon Pulse!"
Hydreigon roared and unleashed a triple-headed surge of draconic energy.
The three streams spiraled together into the shape of a spectral dragon, lunging toward Florges.
Chen Shi only sighed.
"Using a Dragon move on a Florges… Lance, you're too honest."
"Lady Florges—ignore it. Moonblast."
"Flaa~."
The sky dimmed.
A violet full moon materialized above Florges—
Then dropped.
The moment was so breathtakingly beautiful the announcer whispered:
"…Magnificent."
The Dragon Pulse and Moonblast collided simultaneously with their targets.
Hydreigon screamed—
Florges didn't even flinch.
She remained poised, smiling, unshaken.
Not a scratch.
The referee lifted a flag.
"Hydreigon is unable to battle! Lance, please send out your next Pokémon!"
The arena exploded into cheers.
Thunderous. Endless.
"Flaa~"
Lady Florges dipped into another graceful bow, first to Lance, then to the audience—like a prima ballerina finishing her performance.
In an instant, the crowd was hers.
Chants of her name echoed through the stadium.
Chen Shi simply smiled.
Because—
Elegance never goes out of style.
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