At this point, the outcome of the battle was already clear.
But Steven Stone had no intention of giving up. He steadied himself and prepared for the final exchanges.
"Go—Aggron!"
As Steven's Aggron stepped onto the field, Aiden quickly checked its stats.
Level 87.
A powerhouse second only to Metagross.
It could be said that Aggron was one of Steven's signature Pokémon—his second ace.
"Then come back, Metagross."
As Aiden recalled his Metagross, a towering golden figure appeared on the battlefield.
A Shiny Aggron.
Even larger and more imposing than Steven's own Aggron.
At this moment, as the two colossal, beast-like Pokémon roared at each other, the entire stadium erupted with excitement.
Aiden's Aggron—golden, nearly six meters tall, covered in heavy armor, exuding raw brutality.
Steven's Aggron—silver, slightly shorter at around 5.8 meters, equally imposing.
The contrast between gold and silver made Aiden briefly think of legendary figures—
But this was a battle.
"Aggron—Metal Claw! Charge!"
At Aiden's command, the golden Aggron surged forward.
"Aggron, meet it head-on—Metal Claw!"
In the next instant—
Claw met claw.
A deafening metallic clash echoed across the arena.
The battle continued in this raw, brutal fashion.
No tricks.
No finesse.
Just pure power.
"Aggron—Iron Tail!"
"Aggron, Iron Tail as well!"
When their steel tails collided, a harsh grinding sound rang out.
Neither side gave an inch.
Both Pokémon locked eyes, recognizing each other as worthy opponents.
The fight dragged on for nearly an hour.
Blow after blow.
Collision after collision.
Until both massive Pokémon were panting heavily, their stamina nearly depleted.
Aiden's Aggron had the advantage in size and ferocity—but a slightly lower level.
Steven's Aggron had the level advantage—but fell short in raw power, defense, skill execution, and sheer will.
In the end—
Both collapsed simultaneously.
"Both Aggron are unable to battle! Trainers, send out your next Pokémon!"
Hearing the referee's call, Steven recalled his Aggron.
Looking at the battlefield, he finally relaxed, a faint smile appearing on his face.
"I never imagined that the rookie Trainer I met in Dewford's mines would grow this much in just one year."
"But it doesn't matter. I've found a new goal."
"Even if I lose today, Aiden—you've reminded me of the joy of Pokémon battles."
"From now on, I'll train with the goal of surpassing you."
"Now—let's finish this. My final battle in this Championship Challenge!"
For someone like Steven, who had already reached the peak and had no one left to challenge within his region—
Battles had once become dull.
That was why he had turned to other passions, like exploring and collecting rare stones.
But now—
Defeat had given him a new path forward.
"Then my final Pokémon—come out, Bastiodon!"
Instead of Pokémon like Armaldo or Skarmory, Steven sent out a fossil Pokémon from the Sinnoh region—
Bastiodon.
"Ding! Bastiodon's current attributes are as follows:"
Pokémon: Bastiodon
Level: 83
Ability: Soundproof
Type: Rock / Steel
Potential: Gold
Bond Evolution: Not unlocked
Mega Evolution: Not unlocked
Moves: Block, Protect, Metal Sound, Ancient Power, Metal Burst, Iron Head, Heavy Slam…
Seeing Bastiodon, Aiden recalled his Aggron.
"Then for this final battle—I'm counting on you. Aerodactyl!"
Aerodactyl.
Though its level wasn't the highest, it was still one of Aiden's original core seven Pokémon.
A true Master-tier combatant.
Now—
One stood on the ground.
The other soared in the sky.
A clash between spear and shield had begun.
Aerodactyl—the apex predator of ancient times.
Bastiodon—the ultimate defensive Pokémon of the ancient era.
"Aerodactyl—Hyper Beam, rapid fire!"
"Bastiodon—Metal Sound, then Iron Defense!"
At Aiden's command, Aerodactyl flapped its wings and unleashed a devastating beam of energy.
Facing the attack, Bastiodon roared, emitting Metal Sound to weaken Aerodactyl's defenses, then reinforced itself with Iron Defense.
The Hyper Beam struck directly—
But Normal-type moves weren't very effective against Steel-types.
And with Iron Defense active, the damage was further reduced.
However—
One beam was manageable.
Three in a row?
That was another story.
Under the relentless barrage, Bastiodon let out a strained roar.
"Bastiodon—Ancient Power! Bring it down!"
A powerful surge of energy shot toward the sky.
But as an apex aerial predator, Aerodactyl easily evaded the attack with a single flap of its wings.
Then—
Giga Impact!
It charged straight down.
Boom!
The battlefield trembled as the clash intensified.
The battle between ultimate offense and ultimate defense reached its peak.
…
"Aerodactyl and Bastiodon are both unable to battle! Since Champion Steven's six Pokémon have all lost their ability to battle—"
"The winner of this match is—Aiden Flint!"
"Let us congratulate the new Champion of the Hoenn League—Aiden Flint!"
…
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