"Goodra..."
Goodra's eyes hardened. Gray energy gathered around its body as Bide took effect.
It stood its ground and allowed the freezing wind to wash over it head-on.
WHOOOSH!
Goodra shuddered beneath the icy blast, its entire body trembling from the cold.
Even so, it refused to fall.
"Ninetales, finish it with Ice Beam!"
Goodra had to remain in place while Bide stored the damage it received, leaving it as a perfect target. Frost immediately seized the opportunity.
"Niiine!"
Alolan Ninetales opened its mouth as icy-blue energy gathered between its jaws.
A bone-chilling beam tore across the arena toward Goodra.
"Goodra, hang in there!"
Liora's expression tightened as she called out to her Pokémon.
"Goodra!"
Determination burned in Goodra's eyes. It braced itself and took the Ice Beam head-on.
BANG!
The attack struck with a violent burst of frost.
"Goodra!"
Goodra cried out in pain as ice spread across its body.
The super-effective hit dealt tremendous damage. But Goodra's exceptional Special Defense, combined with its sheer determination, allowed it to remain standing.
Barely.
Its body swayed, but the resolve in its eyes had not faded.
"That's it, Goodra!"
Liora's face lit up.
"Now release Bide! Give it all back twice over!"
"GOODRA!"
Goodra roared.
All the energy it had stored erupted from its body at once, surging across the battlefield toward Alolan Ninetales.
Frost's expression turned serious.
"Ninetales, full-power Blizzard!"
"Niiine!"
A tremendous wave of icy energy burst from Alolan Ninetales.
In the next instant, a raging blizzard swept across the arena.
WHOOOSH!
The storm gathered the falling hail and snow around it, growing even more violent as it rushed forward.
Goodra's stored energy and Ninetales's Blizzard collided in the center of the field.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
The clash shook the arena. Ice shattered in every direction, while a thick cloud of frost swallowed both Pokémon.
A gale swept through the battlefield and gradually cleared the frozen mist.
Only then could everyone see the result.
Alolan Ninetales remained standing gracefully on one side of the arena, though its breathing had grown noticeably heavier.
Across from it, Goodra lay motionless on the ground, swirls replacing its eyes.
It was unable to battle.
"Goodra is unable to battle!"
Blaze raised the red flag in his hand.
"Liora, send out your next Pokémon!"
"Come back, Goodra."
Liora recalled it into its Poké Ball.
"You did great. Get some rest."
She gently stroked the ball before putting it away.
Frost was clearly pleased with the result.
"Hahaha! You might as well give up, Liora. Every Pokémon I brought has the advantage over yours."
"What exactly are you planning to beat me with?"
In truth, he was deliberately provoking her.
He knew Liora still had one final ace.
Her expression grew serious as she drew another Luxury Ball.
"The real battle is only starting."
She hurled the ball into the air.
"Come out, Fivey!"
"ROOOAR!"
A flash of light erupted above the battlefield, and an enormous Pokémon materialized in the sky.
It stood more than two and a half meters tall, with a dark violet body and three pairs of black wings spread across its back.
Most astonishing of all were its five dragon heads.
A terrifying draconic pressure radiated from Hydreigon as it threw back its heads and roared toward the sky.
The force of the cry sent a powerful shock wave rolling across the arena, stirring the air into violent currents.
This was Liora's ace.
A Hydreigon with an exceptionally rare ancestral awakening.
"So you finally brought out Hydreigon."
Frost stared up at the oppressive figure hovering above the field, his playful expression disappearing.
Aaron immediately used the System to examine it.
[Name: Hydreigon (Five-Headed)]
[Gender: Male]
[Nature: Rash]
[Type: Dark/Dragon]
[Ability: Ultimate Evil Dragon — Its ancestral awakening has unlocked a primordial evil. The power of Dark- and Dragon-type moves increases by 50%, while its Attack and Special Attack rise by two stages.]
[Base Stats Total: 600]
[Level: Gym (Mid Stage)]
[Potential: Champion]
[Known Moves: Dragon Pulse (Apotheosis), Tri Attack (Perfect), Crunch (Perfect), Dark Pulse (Perfect), Dragon Rush (Mastery), Outrage (Mastery), Dragon Breath (Mastery), Thunder Fang (Mastery), Fire Fang (Mastery), Flamethrower (Mastery), Roost (Mastery), Draco Meteor (Mastery), Work Up (Proficient)...]
[Description: Hydreigon (Five-Headed), the Brutal Pokémon. An extremely rare form of Hydreigon whose ancestral awakening has granted it terrifying primordial power. It mercilessly destroys any enemy standing in its path.]
...
Aaron was taken aback by Hydreigon's status screen.
Five heads were shocking enough, but its Ability had changed as well, raising its offensive power to a terrifying level.
It was practically a flying artillery platform.
Anything caught in a full barrage from those five heads would be lucky to remain standing.
"As expected of a Pokémon with such a rare ancestral awakening. Hydreigon really is powerful."
Aaron found himself thinking of another Pokémon.
"I wonder just how strong Drake's Dragonite is."
"I heard its ancestral awakening runs even deeper than Hydreigon's. It must be on another level entirely."
...