Many spectators were surprised to see Joel's primary Pokemon defeated first. Now, Joel only had his injured Gigalith, Excadrill, and Skarmory remaining.
On the other hand, Kalia had showcased only her Charizard and Sceptile, with two more Pokemon yet to appear, giving her a significant advantage.
Joel had no choice but to send out another Pokemon. Confused, he stared at the Charizard soaring overhead, unable to comprehend why his Z-Move failed to defeat it.
"Go, Gigalith! Fill the air with Sandstorm!"
Regardless of his confusion, changing the weather from Sunny Day to Sandstorm was crucial. Charizard clearly exploited Sunny Day's enhancement on Fire-type moves to defeat Aggron; otherwise, Aggron should have been able to withstand that Fire-type attack.
As Gigalith entered the field, its Ability, Sand Stream, activated, instantly enveloping the area with swirling sand. The fierce gusts created a powerful Sandstorm, dimming the previously intense sunlight as it became obscured by the airborne dust, casting a gloom over the arena.
"Charizard, full-force attack!" Kalia swiftly commanded. If her memory served correctly, Gigalith was not at full health due to significant damage inflicted by Sceptile earlier. With the transition to Sandstorm weather, it would be an opportune moment for Charizard to exploit Gigalith's Ability and launch an assault.
In reality, Lian didn't even need Kalia's reminder; he had already initiated his move. Gigalith also had relatively low Special Defense, and despite the boost from the Sandstorm weather, Lian was confident in defeating this Gigalith.
Within the next second, Lian unleashed another Flame Spiral. At his current level, releasing two consecutive Flame Spirals within a short span was feasible. Technically, the energy consumption of Flame Spiral is similar to Flamethrower, so if Lian could continuously use Flamethrower, he could likewise chain Flame Spiral attacks.
Once again, a torrent of flames erupted from Lian, forming a spiraling lance of fire that directly targeted the ground-bound Gigalith.
As Lian attacked, Joel had no time to issue further commands. The speed of Lian's offensive was too swift; before Joel could fully deploy his Poké Ball, the attack had already commenced.
Thus, Gigalith merely served as a weather manipulator before being struck by Lian's Flame Spiral. Although without Sunny Day's amplification, it still depleted the last of Gigalith's stamina.
Although Gigalith didn't collapse, its eyes closed, clearly indicating severe injuries and loss of combat ability. The flames had shattered some of the rock formations on its body.
Lian defeated Joel's second Pokémon, leaving Joel with only two remaining. The situation now favored Kalia significantly.
Joel indeed possessed strong capabilities; if Lian were just an ordinary Charizard, his Z-Move would have likely defeated him. However, unfortunately for Joel, that was not the case.
With only Excadrill left unchallenged, Lian remained unfazed since Skarmory was already at a disadvantage against him. He feared Excadrill even less, as Fire-types also have an advantage over Ground-types.
Initially, Joel's Pokémon lineup consisted mainly of Rock-types, which typically should not fear Fire-types. Yet, surprisingly, both Rock-type Pokémon fell to Lian.
As a result, the remaining two Pokémon were predominantly vulnerable to Fire-type attacks, placing Joel in a highly unfavorable position.
The critical factor was the failure of his Z-Move. Who could have anticipated that it wouldn't instantly defeat Charizard? It seemed almost impossible, yet it occurred.
At this moment, Joel had no choice but to send out Excadrill. Skarmory stood no chance against Charizard, while Excadrill, with its Sand Rush Ability, would gain significantly increased speed during a Sandstorm, potentially allowing it to defeat Charizard.
Suddenly,
Boom!
The ground trembled violently, and a deafening roar echoed from an unknown direction, akin to an explosion, causing continuous quakes beneath their feet.
"What's happening?" Everyone in the Combat Hall stood up, feeling the intense vibrations, which instilled a sense of panic and confusion.
Kalia and Joel paused their battle, realizing it might not be wise to continue amidst such uncertainty.
Soon, some individuals received news, including Taro, who learned that near Mono City, a sleeping Legendary Pokémon on a mountain had unexpectedly awakened.
The awakening of Legendary Pokémon Regirock caused the mountain to collapse and triggered an earthquake that affected the entire Mono City, resulting in the intense tremors and rumbling sounds.
"A Legendary Pokémon has emerged; let's go check it out." Taro swiftly took action. As Elite Four trainers, they had the responsibility to control the situation until determining if the Legendary Pokémon posed any threats, even within the Ellie region.
This was their duty as Elite Four trainers.
Taro promptly left the Combat Hall with several high-level Trainers from the Ellie region, announcing a temporary halt to the competition. With the Legendary Pokémon nearby in Mono City, the Exchange Competition needed to be paused indefinitely.
Kalia felt slightly disappointed, as she was close to winning. However, upon resuming, there was no guarantee she could perform better than before.
Nevertheless, this battle showcased her strength, shifting most spectators' gaze from one of disdain to admiration.
Even Gustav and Sam looked on with astonishment, realizing Kalia's prowess far surpassed theirs. If either of them had faced Joel, they would undoubtedly have been overwhelmed.
Near Mono City, a mountain suddenly collapsed, revealing an ancient ruin within. The slumbering Rock-type Legendary Pokemon, Regirock, was forcibly awakened amidst the rubble.
Emerging slowly from the debris, Regirock's massive stone body stood tall. Being abruptly roused from its sleep understandably left it feeling irritable, just as any disruption would annoy anyone, including Regirock.
Composed entirely of various colored rocks, Regirock formed part of the trio known as the "Three Pillar Siblings," alongside Regice and Registeel.
On Regirock's head, seven distinct spots were visible, with no other discernible facial features. Its arms consisted solely of solid rock, lacking separate hands or fingers.
"Let's move quickly; now that Regirock has awoken, Taro will surely arrive soon." Upon witnessing Regirock stirring, a group of enigmatic individuals promptly departed, leaving Regirock alone at the scene.
The location was not far from the Combat Hall, and swiftly, Taro and his team reached Lake Lock Mountain. In truth, many knew about Regirock residing in this mountain but refrained from disturbing it to avoid angering the Legendary Pokemon.
At this moment, Regirock was extremely furious. Though initially sluggish upon awakening, it quickly spotted Taro and his group, launching an attack to vent its anger.
"Regirock's forced awakening is clearly intentional. What do you have to say about this, people from the Ellie region?" Taro asked coldly. Generally, Legendary Pokemon should not be disturbed easily, but with Regirock awakened and no one else around, it indicated a premeditated act.
"I'm not sure," replied a high-level Trainer from the Ellie region, shaking their head. Whether they genuinely lacked knowledge or were feigning ignorance remained uncertain.
"It doesn't matter now. Let's focus on calming Regirock first," Taro stated. Regirock was visibly enraged, necessitating immediate intervention. The immense power of a Legendary Pokemon, especially a Rock-type like Regirock, which possesses devastating moves, needed containment.
Fortunately, the area was devoid of bystanders; otherwise, the consequences of Regirock's unleashed strength could have been catastrophic.