"Wait!"
Just as John and Magnus were about to begin their battle, the referee suddenly interrupted the duel.
Both John and Magnus immediately turned their attention to him. Interrupting a battle when fighting spirit had reached its peak was incredibly uncomfortable for any trainer.
The referee was well aware of this. Feeling the intense gazes of both the Champion and the challenger, he felt like he was carrying a mountain on his shoulders. The pressure was overwhelming as he quickly explained.
"My apologies to both trainers. After organizational consultation, you two need to relocate to the Pacific Ocean for this final decisive battle. With the combat power of Raikou and Lugia, the National Stadium's protective barriers simply cannot withstand the impact."
John and Magnus suddenly understood.
Right.
The National Stadium's protective barriers could withstand Champion-level combat power. But once Raikou and Lugia fought seriously, it would far exceed mere Championship level.
If the National Stadium's protective barriers couldn't hold, the audience would be in danger, and possibly the entire surrounding region could be reduced to ruins.
"Then let's move to the Pacific Ocean," Magnus agreed.
"Fine by me. Lugia can't go full power here anyway," John naturally had no objections.
Magnus mounted Raikou's back and flew eastward.
John snapped his fingers, and Gardevoir immediately teleported onto Lugia's back, chasing after Raikou in the direction it had disappeared.
This left the stunned audience behind.
You're leaving? What about us?
Since the organization had made this decision, they already had a backup plan.
"Dear spectators, we will immediately dispatch personnel to follow the battle between Elite Four John and Champion Magnus. The final match will be shown via live broadcast."
"You may continue watching here, or view the live stream on the Trainer Association's official website after leaving in an orderly fashion."
After this announcement, the broadcast team's Flying-type Pokemon chased in the direction John and Magnus had vanished.
Leading the group were Damian, Victor, and Riley, along with referees and live broadcast crew responsible for covering the decisive battle.
The referee's explanation was accepted by the National Stadium audience.
After all, seeing Zeraora's ultimate move nearly shatter the energy barriers, they were happy to have the battle moved elsewhere, though they'd have to wait for results remotely.
Pacific Ocean
John and Magnus arrived very quickly.
They found a battleground on the vast ocean, hundreds of kilometers from Draconia's coastline. No islands or landing spots existed in the surrounding area.
But it didn't matter, both Lugia and Raikou could fly, so the lack of solid ground had no effect on their combat effectiveness.
After waiting another ten minutes, the official team led by Damian finally arrived.
They didn't dare get too close, maintaining a distance of several thousand meters and relying on cameras to capture the action.
Since the battle had been suspended mid-way, the referee needed to officially restart it.
After confirming both sides were in position, the referee sent out a Loudred and announced with its Hyper Voice move:
"Let the battle begin!"
"Raikou, Electric Terrain!" Magnus commanded loudly. He was now standing atop a Metagross, radiating authority with every gesture.
After all, he was commanding a legendary Pokemon.
ROAR!
Raikou raised his head skyward and roared.
Instantly, majestic divine power descended.
With Raikou as the epicenter, surging lightning spread in all directions, resplendent and dazzling, making the sea and sky seem like domain.
The electricity spread for dozens of kilometers, with traces of golden current flowing like silk threads visible throughout the entire area.
The scene was grand and magnificent!
If Zeraora's lightning was unstoppable and sharp with everyone's first impression being precision, then Raikou's thunder gave the overwhelming impression of absolute dominance.
The two types of electricity each had their specialties. As for which was stronger, no one could answer since they'd never fought directly.
The Pacific Ocean had been sunny, but the clear blue sky became overcast. Heavy rain poured down, thunder surged and flickered, and fierce winds howled.
However, this meteorological display ended abruptly.
What was he thinking? What kind of opponent did he believe he was fighting?
Trying to manipulate weather in front of Lugia, the god of monsoons and ocean currents?
Did he think he was Rayquaza?
The pitch-black Lugia simply flew in the sky without taking any action. The winds stopped and the heavy rain ceased.
Gentle sunshine returned to illuminate the battlefield.
Audiences at the National Stadium had the illusion of seeing sunlight again when they witnessed this scene. After all, though both legendary Pokemon had departed, the capital's sky remained covered with dark storm clouds and rain.
John raised his hand and pressed it toward Raikou. "Gust."
Lugia's scarlet eyes locked onto Raikou from mid-air, raising its massive wing and slapping it downward.
WHOOOOSH!
If this connected, it could indeed knock Raikou out instantly.
Raikou's expression grew serious, its limbs moving slightly. Only sparks flickered above the ocean surface before it vanished entirely.
The giant wind attack crashed into the sea, causing massive turbulence and waves, like a glass of water being constantly shaken.
"Use Quick Attack to dodge!" Magnus shouted urgently.
A gigantic gust of wind descended from the sky, aiming to crush Raikou completely!
But this didn't prevent John from following up his attack.
BOOM!
Reappearing, Raikou was already hundreds of meters higher in the sky. Its Quick Attack speed was comparable to Teleport. Even with John's enhanced perception, he could barely track the electrical traces.
But Lugia had somehow appeared above Raikou's head, its massive wing magnified in Raikou's vision.
Otherwise, letting Lugia use a move like Gust, with only 40 base power in the games, would be far too obvious an underestimation!
Raikou's speed was impressive, but facing Lugia, speed alone wasn't enough, it needed to be combined with powerful moves!