At this point, Aiden Flint had already defeated three Elite Four members in succession.
Only one remained.
The strongest of them all—Hoenn's Dragon master, Drake.
In truth, Drake had been considering retirement. Age had gradually dulled his former edge, and he had long planned to step aside after this season to give younger Trainers their chance.
But after his previous clash with Aiden's Rayquaza, something reignited within him.
It was as if he had found a second spring in his life.
His strength had sharpened once more.
And so—
He had been waiting for this rematch.
When Drake watched Aiden sweep through the first three Elite Four members like a tidal wave, he burst into hearty laughter.
"Finally! My turn! Aiden, boy, I've been looking forward to this! Enough waiting—let's battle!"
The old sea captain strode onto the field the moment Glacia stepped down.
After the arena reset, the final Elite Four battle began.
"The next match will be between Challenger Aiden Flint and Hoenn Elite Four Drake. Each side may use six Pokémon—"
"Enough, enough!" Drake waved his hand impatiently. "I know the rules. Stop rambling!"
The referee's face darkened, but he swallowed his protest. He couldn't exactly argue with Drake.
Internally, he prayed Aiden would give the old man a proper beating.
Watching someone else do what he couldn't… had its own satisfaction.
Aiden smiled faintly.
"Elite Four Drake. It's been a while. You look more spirited than before."
Drake laughed loudly. "After losing to you last time, I reflected deeply. Broke through my limits. I'm stronger now than ever!"
"Today, fight me at full power. Let this old man see what a true Champion looks like!"
Aiden felt a rare trace of respect.
"Then… as you wish."
Both men released their Poké Balls simultaneously.
Red light flashed.
Drake's first Pokémon appeared—
One Aiden had never seen in this life before.
"Ding! Dragalge's current attributes are as follows:"
Pokémon: Dragalge
Level: 78
Ability: Poison Point
Type: Dragon / Poison
Potential: Gold
Bond Evolution: Not unlocked
Mega Evolution: Not unlocked
Moves: Acid Spray, Poison Tail, Water Pulse, Dragon Pulse, Toxic, Outrage, Hydro Pump…
True Dragon-types had always been rare in earlier generations.
That was why certain "Dragon" specialists once relied on Pokémon that merely had "dragon" in their name—earning some playful nicknames along the way.
But by Hoenn, more true Dragons had emerged.
And Drake, a seasoned sea captain who traveled across regions, had gathered several rare Dragon-types from afar.
Dragalge was one of them.
In response—
Aiden sent out a natural counter.
"Glaceon."
The moment Glaceon stepped onto the field, Dragalge's instincts flared.
Danger.
"Dragalge—Toxic!"
As a Dragon/Poison-type, even touching it risked severe poisoning.
Poison-types were notoriously difficult to handle.
"Glaceon—Ice Beam!"
Against Poison-types, distance was key.
A beam of extreme cold shot forward.
Toxic collided with Ice Beam midair—
And instantly froze.
The toxic sludge solidified, shattering under the freezing force.
Ice Beam continued forward—
Striking Dragalge directly.
Ice-type moves dealt double damage to Dragon-types.
Dragalge roared in pain.
"Dragalge! Sludge Bomb!"
A barrage of poisonous projectiles rained down.
"Glaceon—Blizzard!"
The arena transformed into a chaotic storm of toxic sludge and raging snow.
White frost turned violet as poison seeped across the ground.
"Glaceon—Absolute Zero!"
Aiden aimed at the battlefield itself.
If the poisoned terrain froze solid, it could no longer hinder Glaceon's movement.
"Dragalge—Thunderbolt!"
Electricity flashed.
Though not super effective, Thunderbolt was fast.
Before Glaceon could fully react, the strike landed cleanly.
The impact staggered Glaceon—
And in that opening, Toxic finally took hold.
Glaceon was poisoned.
Meanwhile, the Blizzard continued to chip away at Dragalge's stamina.
"Glaceon—maximum power Ice Beam!"
"Dragalge—dodge!"
This time—
There was nowhere to escape.
Within the Blizzard's coverage, frigid energy detonated.
Dragalge was frozen solid midair—
An ice sculpture suspended briefly before crashing to the ground.
The ice shattered.
Dragalge did not rise.
"Ding! Glaceon has defeated Dragalge. Gained 6,530 experience points. Level increased. Current level: Lv77!"
Drake truly deserved his title as Hoenn's strongest Elite Four member.
Though Dragalge fell—
Glaceon was poisoned and unable to continue.
The battle would grow harder from here.
Drake recalled his fallen Dragon calmly.
"Well done, old friend."
He threw another Poké Ball.
"Now then… Flygon, you're up!"
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