"Challenger, prepare for battle."
"The battle begins now."
The voice boomed through the endless space, and the seven Pokémon on the opposite side moved at once.
"GRAAAH!"
Energy surged from their bodies as they launched their attacks.
The opposing Greninja fired Hydro Pump. Charizard answered with Flamethrower. Snorlax charged forward with High Horsepower, its huge body wrapped in dense Ground-type energy as it rushed straight toward Aaron's Snorlax.
Sceptile came in with Leaf Blade, while Infernape's fists blazed with Fire Punch. In the air, the opposing Gyarados opened its jaws and used Crunch against Aaron's much larger Gyarados. Beedrill shot forward with Twinneedle.
In an instant, all seven opponents moved first.
Aaron watched their attacks come in without the slightest change in expression.
"Charizard, meet it with Flamethrower."
His commands followed smoothly, one after another.
"Greninja, close in with Quick Attack, then finish it with Lightning Release: Chidori."
"Snorlax, King Kong Gun."
"Gyarados, Aqua Tail."
"Infernape, Fire Punch."
"Sceptile, dodge first, then counter with Leaf Blade."
"Beedrill, Twinneedle."
This was only the first floor. Conserving stamina mattered more than showing off, so there was no need to open with anything flashy.
Aaron simply had them use "ordinary" moves.
Of course, ordinary for his Pokémon was not ordinary for anyone else.
"GRAAAH!"
His team responded immediately, fierce cries ringing out as terrifying energy flared around them.
Charizard opened its jaws and released a stream of golden flame. The two Flamethrowers collided, but the opposing attack lasted less than a second before being swallowed whole. Aaron's flames blasted straight through and slammed into the other Charizard.
BOOOOM!
The opposing Charizard was scorched black, thrown hard into the ground, and knocked out instantly.
With an Apotheosis-tier Flamethrower boosted by Dragon Slayer Magic, Charizard's firepower was basically a controlled explosion.
The enemy Gyarados fared even worse. It lunged forward with Crunch, trying to bite down on Aaron's massive Gyarados, only to be smashed out of the air by a single Aqua Tail.
BOOOOM!
It hit the floor hard enough to blast open a deep crater.
On the ground, the two Infernape clashed with Fire Punch. The result was not even close. Aaron's Infernape smashed its opponent away with one blow, knocking it out on the spot.
One Punch-monkey was not just a nickname.
The opposing Snorlax was just as unlucky. Aaron's Snorlax drove one massive King Kong Gun into it and sent it flying into the wall, leaving a deep pit behind before it collapsed.
Elsewhere, the enemy Greninja had just fired Hydro Pump when black lightning flashed toward it.
It had no time to react.
CRACKLE!
A piercing sound like birdsong cut through the air. In the next instant, Chidori tore into its stomach, and the opposing Greninja collapsed before its Hydro Pump could even finish forming.
Its mouth was still open.
But the only thing that came out now was drool.
Sceptile and Beedrill ended their battles just as cleanly. Their opponents never stood a chance.
In a single exchange, all seven opposing Pokémon were wiped out.
No wasted movement.
No suspense.
...
"Stage cleared."
"Clear time: 1 second."
"Proceeding to the second floor."
The stiff mechanical voice rang out from the void.
Aaron suddenly felt weightless.
By the time his feet steadied again, he had already arrived on the second floor of the Hidden Dragon Tower.
"GRAAAH!"
He had barely regained his footing when seven more Pokémon appeared across from him.
It was the same lineup as before.
The difference was strength.
This time, every opposing Pokémon was at least two stages higher than Aaron's own team. The strongest among them—Greninja, Charizard, and Snorlax—had already reached late Gym-level, while the rest were at mid Gym-level.
A sharp gleam flashed through Aaron's eyes.
"Everyone, finish this quickly."
His voice remained calm.
"Show them a little of what you can really do."
"Grenin!"
"Snooor!"
"Scep!"
"GRAAAH!"
His Pokémon answered with high spirits.
Then they revealed a small portion of their true strength.
And once again, the opposing team was crushed outright.
...
"Stage cleared."
"Clear time: 5 seconds."
"Proceeding to the third floor."
...
"Stage cleared."
"Clear time: 10 seconds."
"Proceeding to the fourth floor."
...
"Stage cleared."
"Clear time: 30 seconds."
"Proceeding to the fifth floor."
...
"Stage cleared."
"Clear time: 35 seconds."
"Proceeding to the sixth floor."
In just a few minutes, Aaron had torn through the first five floors with unstoppable momentum.
The sixth floor was the same height Blaze and Liora had reached.
It was also the level corresponding to second, third, fourth, and fifth place on the Hidden Dragon Rankings. The difference between those rankings came down to clear time.
That meant if Aaron cleared this floor faster than Blaze, his name would immediately rise to second place.
Outside the tower, everyone watching had already gone numb.
They stared at the results in disbelief, their faces frozen in shock.
...