Noel's Poison Needle—and Hydreigon's Dominating Rescue!**
"Whew… so this is the power of Mega Garchomp?"
"Smashing straight through Protect—this is absurd!"
"It's not just raw strength. That Mega Garchomp shows zero rejection symptoms. He's using his Mega form at nearly full efficiency!"
"That means this isn't his first time—he's a veteran at Mega Evolution!"
"Damn it… Ethan is way too much of a monster!"
"Even if he's Champion Victor Stone's son, this is beyond ridiculous!"
"Back then, even Victor wasn't this outrageous, was he?"
Staring at Ethan and Mega Garchomp on the battlefield, Five-Star Trainers, Elite Four members, and even Champions from various alliances were all visibly shaken.
What Ethan was displaying now had crossed the boundary of normal talent.
To be honest—
If it weren't for official records confirming his age, no one would believe Ethan was only eighteen.
In the stands, Alicia stared fixedly at Mega Garchomp.
Her previously calm gaze had turned into naked shock.
She turned sharply to her aide.
"Do we have the combat data yet?"
"How strong was that strike that shattered Protect?"
Anil wiped sweat from his forehead as calculations flew across his screen.
"Elite Four… the impact just now reached the level of a King-tier Pokémon at full power."
"Th–there's something I need to ask…"
Alicia frowned. "Speak."
"…Could our instruments be malfunctioning?"
"We've never recorded a Peak-Overlord Pokémon producing power comparable to a Peak-King strike."
"Even Champion-bred Pokémon usually can't do this!"
Anil wasn't exaggerating.
He genuinely believed the machines had broken.
But Alicia didn't answer.
Strong people never deny the unknown—they accept it.
Humanity's understanding of Pokémon was still painfully shallow.
History had already proven that some individuals could nurture Pokémon to godlike heights.
Caesar of Rome.
The First Emperor of Qin.
The Heavenly Khan of Tang.
All had stood face-to-face with legends.
Watching Ethan now, Alicia felt a chilling certainty:
This boy might be one of those people.
But then—
Her thoughts shifted to the poison needle she had personally given Noel.
The worry vanished, replaced by delight.
She turned her venomous gaze toward Victor Stone in the audience.
"Victor… you really do have an outstanding son," she thought coldly.
"But what does it matter?"
"With my Ninefold Venom Powder, unless the Life God Xerneas himself descends…"
"Your precious son is doomed."
"This," she sneered inwardly,
"is the price of rejecting me."
Noel's Last Card
On the battlefield, Noel's fear was plain to see.
Mega Garchomp's presence alone was suffocating.
To be honest, Noel already wanted to quit.
But an outright attack on Ethan now would be noticed—by the referee, by the audience, by everyone.
So he forced himself onward.
"Go—Dusknoir!"
A massive, floating ghost appeared—
One eye. No lower body.
Dusknoir. Ghost-type. Early King-tier.
A ferryman of the spirit world, said to guide souls beyond death.
Slow and stamina-poor—but terrifyingly powerful.
"Dusknoir, Trick Room!"
Blue light flared.
The battlefield twisted.
The raging sandstorm slowed as if time itself had been throttled.
"Now—Ice Punch!"
Dusknoir vanished like a phantom, frost condensing around its massive arm as it struck—
And missed.
Mega Garchomp was gone.
Noel froze.
So did Dusknoir.
Then Ethan's calm voice sounded.
"Trick Room is good against speed-types," he said evenly.
"But against me—its effect is limited."
"Garchomp. Dragon Cheer."
A deafening roar exploded across the arena.
Mega Garchomp's aura surged, becoming even more oppressive—
Like an ancient dragon awakening from deep time.
Its scythe-like claws gleamed like the Reaper's blades.
The reason Garchomp had avoided the strike was simple.
Trick Room didn't reverse speed—
It rewrote motion laws.
Move too fast, and you slow down.
Move slowly, and you become fast.
There were only two counters:
Be so fast you break the rules.
Or understand the rules—and exploit them.
Mega Garchomp had learned this the hard way.
Under Metagross's "loving" iron-fisted training.
Fail—and you ate steel fists.
Success—or broken bones.
That pain had paid off.
"Dragon Claw!"
Mega Garchomp vanished.
Even under Trick Room, it moved faster than the eye could follow.
Claws wreathed in dragon energy tore into Dusknoir.
The more Dusknoir tried to react, the slower it became.
It was beaten like a punching bag.
Seeing the end, Ethan spoke quietly.
"Finish it."
"Draco Meteor."
Mega Garchomp seized Dusknoir, dragon energy roaring in its jaws—
The Assassination Attempt
Every eye was on Mega Garchomp.
Noel smiled.
This was his moment.
"Since I can't beat you head-on," he whispered,
"then hell will take you instead."
A mechanism clicked.
A needle—too small to see—
Streaked toward Ethan.
Only Alicia knew.
Only she smiled.
Meloetta sensed it instantly—but it was too late.
Then—
"HYDRAAA—ROAR!!"
A Poké Ball burst open.
A colossal, three-headed dragon erupted onto the field.
Hydreigon.
Four meters tall. Dominating.
It heard everything.
The needle's whistle.
Its target.
With a single Dragon Roar, the needle shattered midair.
Poison mist rebounded—straight back toward Noel.
No one noticed the poison.
They were all staring at Hydreigon.
A stunned voice echoed through the stands:
"…A Champion-tier Hydreigon?!"
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