The moment those words were spoken, the entire arena instantly erupted into an uproar.
Former Elite Four member Elder Moore personally stepping onto the battlefield, and even placing such a generous wager on the match, was an opportunity that almost never appeared. It was a once in a lifetime chance.
Not only for Theo, but for any trainer, this kind of challenge carried an irresistible temptation.
The live stream chat exploded even more violently, messages flooding the screen like a volcanic eruption.
"Holy crap! Mr. Moore is fighting personally? This hype is off the charts!"
"Blast Burn! Overheat! Those are insanely powerful Fire type moves! Streamer, accept it quickly! If you miss this chance you will regret it for the rest of your life!"
"Elder Moore also trained a Blaziken! I'm so excited! I'm bringing my Combusken to watch and learn!"
"Even though the pressure on the streamer must be huge, this opportunity really can't be missed. Even if he loses, being able to battle a former Elite Four member is priceless experience!"
Blast Burn and Overheat were two moves Theo had never obtained through his advanced level lottery draws. After all, they were extremely powerful moves, and the probability of drawing them was naturally much lower than normal moves.
If Larvesta could learn those two attacks this time, it would truly be a rare opportunity.
Theo turned his head slightly and looked at Larvesta beside him, whose fighting spirit was already blazing.
Larvesta seemed to understand Mr. Moore's wager as well. It nodded firmly at Theo, and the flames dancing on its antennae flickered even more energetically, clearly showing that it was also eager for this battle.
Theo lifted his head and looked directly at Mr. Moore.
"I accept this challenge."
The instant his words fell, thunderous cheers erupted throughout the entire arena. The crowd burst into applause and shouts as everyone eagerly anticipated this sudden and unexpected duel.
Seeing Theo accept the challenge, Mr. Moore first reached out and gently rubbed Flannery's fluffy red hair with a smile.
As his fingers brushed through her hair, a trace of doting affection toward his granddaughter appeared on his face.
Flannery, however, turned her head away slightly in embarrassment, the tips of her ears faintly flushing red.
The frustration from her earlier defeat had not yet completely faded. Now that her grandfather comforted her so gently, the conflicting emotions in her heart made her feel somewhat awkward. She could only hide that complicated feeling behind silence.
In the next moment, Mr. Moore turned around.
The instant he faced Theo, the warm smile he had shown toward his granddaughter vanished like receding tides.
His expression changed completely in an instant.
In its place appeared a cold, stern, battle hardened aura.
"Go."
Mr. Moore's voice became deeper and more serious as his finger lightly brushed across the Poké Ball at his waist.
With a casual flick of his wrist, the Poké Ball traced a smooth arc through the air and landed squarely in the center of the battlefield.
Bang!
Before the arc of the ball even fully disappeared, a burst of red light exploded outward.
A vigorous figure shot out from within the light, surrounded by scorching waves of heat.
The moment its feet touched the ground, a heavy thud echoed across the battlefield. A violent gust of wind spread outward, sweeping dust from the edges of the arena into the air.
Flames burst from its wrists, and even the spectators seated near the battlefield could feel the intense heat washing toward them. Many of them instinctively leaned backward.
This Pokémon was one that every person in the Hoenn region recognized.
The final evolution of the Fire type starter Torchic.
Blaziken.
But Mr. Moore's Blaziken was clearly different from ordinary individuals.
Its height was close to two meters, a full head taller than most others of its species.
Its shoulders were broad and powerful, and the orange red feathers covering its body could not hide the dense, well defined muscles underneath.
At first glance, it looked almost like a Machoke wearing the appearance of a Blaziken.
What drew the most attention were its legs.
The muscles of its thighs bulged powerfully, thick and knotted like the roots of ancient trees. Its lower legs were streamlined yet packed with explosive strength.
Even while simply standing still, it gave off an overwhelming sense of terrifying physical power.
After landing, Blaziken tilted its head slightly. Its sharp eyes locked onto Theo like a predator that had already selected its prey.
The battle intent radiating from its body seemed almost tangible, spreading outward and causing many spectators nearby to unconsciously hold their breath.
Theo's system quickly displayed the Pokémon's data.
[Pokémon: Blaziken]
Type: Fire / Fighting
Category: Blaze Pokémon
Ability: Speed Boost (Slightly increases stamina consumption while continuously increasing the Pokémon's speed)
Moves: Blaze Kick, Double Kick, Quick Attack, Flame Charge, Will-O-Wisp, Detect, Aerial Ace, Fire Punch, Bulk Up, Flamethrower, Overheat, Swords Dance, Endure, Reversal, Low Kick, and more.
Theo's gaze swept across the information panel.
When the words "Speed Boost" appeared before his eyes, his pupils shrank almost imperceptibly.
In the game mechanics of his previous life, the Speed Boost ability had simply been considered a solid ability.
After all, in a turn based battle system, the idea was straightforward. You attack once, your opponent attacks once, and speed increasing each turn merely determined who moved first.
But in real world Pokémon battles, the terrifying nature of this ability was magnified countless times.
Pokémon in reality were not static data like they were in games. They did not simply stand still and exchange attacks.
They could use their speed advantage to dodge incoming moves, search for openings, and even launch counterattacks before the opponent had finished executing a technique.
And the speed increase from Blaziken's Speed Boost ability was passive.
It was not like using a move that raised speed.
The only cost was described as "slightly increased stamina consumption."
A continuously stacking speed increase that required no active move, only a small stamina cost, was terrifying in real combat.
In the context of real world Pokémon battles, it could almost be considered one of the strongest abilities in existence.
When the spectators saw Mr. Moore's massive Blaziken, the audience could no longer contain themselves. Waves of shocked cries rose like a tide.
"My god! What did that Blaziken eat growing up? It's way too huge!"
"If my Torchic evolved into something like that, I'd laugh in my sleep every night!"
"Just look at those legs. It feels like one kick could turn a rock into powder!"
Meanwhile, the live stream chat was scrolling so fast that the messages were almost impossible to read.
"Those muscles are insane! Even my Machoke would drool seeing that! Is this the training level of a Elite Four tier trainer?"
"My Blaziken and that one aren't even the same species! The difference is way too big!!"
"Which Pokémon will the streamer send out? It feels like none of them will have an easy time…"
Mr. Moore raised a hand slightly, calming the noisy crowd.
Then his gaze fell onto Theo.
"Theo," he said casually, "where are your other Pokémon?"
"Let them out so I can take a look."
"That way I'll know which one you plan to send out to spar with my Blaziken."
Theo nodded.
Without hesitation, he lifted his hand and tossed three Poké Balls from his waist.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three bursts of red light flashed in succession.
Tyrantrum's massive body appeared first, towering and ferocious.
Milotic followed, its elegant and flowing form gliding gracefully into view.
Finally, Metang emerged, its metallic body gleaming under the arena lights.
The moment the three Pokémon appeared on the battlefield, Blaziken's sharp gaze swept across them like that of a hunting eagle.
In an instant, it evaluated each of them.
Then its eyes locked firmly onto Tyrantrum.
The enormous dinosaur Pokémon, with its massive body and thick armored scales, immediately ignited Blaziken's fighting spirit.
(End of Chapter)