For a brief moment, Aaron and Moss looked at each other.
Then both of them smiled.
What they saw in each other's eyes was pure passion and sincerity toward Pokémon battles.
They were both true Pokémon Trainers who genuinely loved Pokémon and loved battling.
Perhaps it was fate that had brought them together on this day.
For Moss, Aaron would become the goal he chased after in the future.
And for Aaron, Moss would become a lifelong friend.
…
"Beedrill… keep using Agility!"
Aaron continued issuing commands.
Agility could confuse the opponent while also increasing Speed.
There was no reason not to use it.
Bzzzzzz!
Beedrill let out a sharp buzz and repeated its earlier tactic, once again circling around Scizor at high speed.
Its wings vibrated rapidly, producing a piercing hum through the air.
"That won't work on me anymore…"
Moss smiled faintly at Aaron before shouting,
"Scizor… use Bullet Punch!"
"Force Beedrill out!"
Scizor's eyes narrowed sharply.
It had already adapted to Beedrill's speed.
By sensing the subtle movements in the airflow, it could now determine Beedrill's exact position.
"Scizor!"
Silver-white light burst from Scizor's pincers.
Like bullets fired from a gun, its punches blasted toward Beedrill's flight path.
Aaron frowned.
This Scizor was seriously troublesome.
The biggest issue was that Beedrill's move pool was still too shallow, while Scizor resisted nearly everything it had.
Looks like I really need to buy Beedrill some offensive TM cards…
Aaron thought inwardly.
"Beedrill… dodge with Flash Step!"
Aaron had no choice but to use Flash Step once again to avoid Scizor's lightning-fast Bullet Punch.
SWISH!
Scizor's attack missed again.
Beedrill's figure instantly reappeared high in the air, staring expressionlessly down at Scizor below.
This was the first time Beedrill had ever faced such a difficult opponent.
Without using Suzumebachi's power, it genuinely might not be able to defeat this Scizor.
Off to the side, the old man frowned slightly.
Beedrill's speed was far too strange.
It almost looked like teleportation.
Could Beedrill actually use teleportation?
The old man fell silent.
…
"Aaron… if you can't break through my defense, then it's my turn to attack."
Across from him, Moss grinned confidently.
"Then bring it on."
Aaron smiled back calmly.
"Scizor… let's use High-Speed Flash!"
Moss's expression instantly turned serious.
"Scizor!"
Scizor let out a low cry.
Purple-gray energy suddenly erupted from its body.
In the next instant, its figure vanished completely, transforming into a blazing streak of red light that shot toward Beedrill at terrifying speed.
"High-Speed Flash!?"
Aaron froze for the briefest moment.
That split-second hesitation cost him the timing to issue a command.
Scizor was simply too fast.
In the blink of an eye, it had already slammed directly into Beedrill midair.
BOOM!
Beedrill was blasted straight down from the sky and smashed heavily into the ground.
Bzzzzzz!!
It let out a pained buzz.
That unfamiliar move had dealt serious damage.
"Hehe… didn't expect that, huh?"
Moss scratched his nose proudly.
"This is a combination move I developed."
"It combines Agility with Quick Attack."
"Not only does it increase Quick Attack's speed and power, it also keeps Agility's effect and raises the Pokémon's Speed by two stages."
Pride filled Moss's face as he explained the move he had created.
Surprise flashed through Aaron's eyes.
Then excitement quickly followed.
"Moss… you might actually be a true genius trainer."
"You're seriously impressive."
A trace of admiration appeared in Aaron's eyes.
This was what a real Pokémon Trainer looked like.
Not only could they command Pokémon properly in battle, they could also help their Pokémon create combination moves that surpassed the limits of their original techniques.
If I had never come to this world… maybe a Trainer like Moss would've been this generation's true prodigy.
Aaron sighed inwardly.
But in games… no matter how talented you are or how hard you work, there's still one thing you can't overcome.
Cheats.
A smile slowly appeared on Aaron's face.
"Moss… you're strong."
"But I know you still haven't shown your true power yet."
"So let me begin the final round of this battle…"
Aaron gave Moss a bright smile.
Then he slowly took a stone out from inside his clothes.
The moment Moss and the old man saw it, both of them froze.
"A Key Stone!?"
Shock instantly filled the old man's eyes.
He stared at Aaron in disbelief.
"Could this kid really be the descendant of another tribe?"
Under their stunned gazes, Aaron suddenly shouted,
"Beedrill… let's go!"
BZZZZZZ!
Beedrill nodded firmly.
The Beedrillite within its body and the Key Stone in Aaron's hand instantly released dazzling light.
"Beedrill… Mega Evolve!"
BZZZZZZZ!!
Brilliant radiance instantly illuminated the entire valley.
Inside the blinding white glow, Beedrill's body slowly began to grow larger.
A powerful aura surged outward like a raging tidal wave, sweeping through the entire area.