"Graveler is unable to battle! Steelix wins!"
The referee's whistle cut through the air as he waved the red flag toward Steelix.
"Oh-ho! A one-hit knockout! Steelix's power really is overwhelming!" the announcer bellowed, and the stadium erupted into cheers.
Steelix was rare—because the Metal Coat it needed to evolve was incredibly scarce.
But Onix was not rare.
In the audience, many trainers owned Onix. Watching Steelix display such frightening strength, they couldn't help but cheer as well, each secretly imagining the day their own Onix might evolve into a Steelix.
However—
A Metal Coat was painfully expensive, each piece costing at least eight million, even up to ten million. For most trainers, it was far beyond reach.
"Ding…"
On the scoreboard, two of Hikaru's three lights had gone out, while only one of Yozora's lights was extinguished.
Overall, Yozora still held the advantage.
Staring at the board, Hikaru clenched his fists.
He had pinned great hopes on this year's Indigo Plateau Conference, investing an enormous sum to forge his Steelix into a powerful trump card.
Originally, his plan was to keep Steelix hidden until the main tournament, then rely on it to break into the top eight and claim glory.
But to think—it was only the fourth round of preliminaries, and he had already been forced to send it out…
"Two more to go! Come on, Steelix, win them all!" Hikaru shouted.
The crowd roared, many spectators lending their voices in support.
Meanwhile, Yozora, like some unshakable demon king, sent out his second Pokémon—Machamp.
Why a demon king?
Because compared to Hikaru, Yozora still held a commanding advantage, looming before him like a mountain and blocking his path to advancement.
"Machamp! Yozora has sent out Machamp! Look—this Machamp is wearing a Championship Belt! Its strength must be absolutely tremendous!" the announcer cried.
Hikaru felt suffocated by the pressure.
Even from afar, he could sense the overwhelming aura radiating from Machamp…
Unlike Graveler before, Machamp had undergone two full evolutions. This was its final form, its power already towering.
And, as a Fighting-type Pokémon, Machamp held a natural advantage. Fighting beat Rock. Fighting beat Steel.
Onix was Rock-type. Steelix was Steel-type.
In other words, both of Hikaru's aces were at a type disadvantage against Machamp!
"Yozora is incredible. Not only is he strong, but his lineup choices and battle order are absolutely perfect!" Brock praised from the sidelines.
On a Rock field, Rock-types were usually the mainstay.
Steel countered Rock. Fighting countered Rock.
On top of that, Fighting also countered Steel.
At this moment, facing Steelix, Yozora sending out Machamp was like the mantis stalking the cicada, only for the oriole to swoop in from behind.
At the Indigo Plateau Conference, each trainer's lineup was registered before the match.
Which meant Yozora hadn't chosen Machamp on a whim—he had already accounted for this possibility.
His foresight was extraordinary.
Brock glanced at Yozora, then at Ash beside him. In his eyes, Ash lacked this kind of long-term vision.
Ash's lineups were usually decided on the spot, relying on improvised tactics and his Pokémon's willpower.
But he didn't realize—choosing the right lineup in advance was equally crucial.
"Yozora really is strong. It's already the fourth round, and he hasn't even needed to use his third Pokémon yet. He's still in complete control," Misty said. "Meanwhile, Ash has been struggling since round three, barely scraping by each time…"
Ash's forehead bulged with veins. "S-so what! A win's a win, isn't it?!"
Though he tried to act tough, Ash inwardly admitted the gap.
If only Charizard would listen to him…
Ever since Yozora pointed out Charizard's nutrition issues, Ash had worked hard, capturing Miltank to help fix the problem.
Now, in Ash's eyes, Charizard was a powerhouse—his strongest ace, far beyond Pikachu.
But since Charizard refused to obey, that ace card was effectively crippled.
Ash sighed, just as the battle resumed.
"Go, Steelix! Smash it away with Double-Edge!" Hikaru shouted.
Double-Edge—a powerful Normal-type move, stronger than Take Down, in the same class as Flare Blitz and Giga Impact.
It was an ultimate attack: tremendous power, but severe recoil. Normally, when it hit, the user would take damage equal to a third of the damage inflicted.
But Hikaru's Steelix had the Ability Rock Head, which nullified recoil damage.
"Whooosh—!"
At his command, Steelix lunged forward, its enormous head hurtling toward Machamp like a living wrecking ball.
The force was terrifying.
Yet Machamp did not flinch. With its No Guard Ability, fear simply didn't exist.
"Excellent, Machamp! That's the spirit…" Yozora praised. Then, as Steelix barreled down, he called sharply: "Use Bulk Up to brace!"
"Swish!"
At once, Machamp tensed every muscle.
A golden light burst from beneath its feet. Bulk Up activated, boosting both its Attack and Defense by one stage—roughly a thirty percent increase.
"Boom—!!"
Steelix crashed down. But at that instant, Machamp raised its four arms and caught it head-on.
More than caught it—Machamp clamped down on Steelix, locking it in place!
All around, the spectators gasped.
To stop Steelix's full-speed Double-Edge charge with raw strength alone… it was unthinkable.
Yet Machamp had done it.