Boom!
A violent explosion suddenly resounded on the field.
It could be seen how a mushroom-shaped cloud rose abruptly over the arena, dispersing the blizzard.
"Don't tell me Beartic was defeated in a single blow?"
The spectators looked nervously toward the place where the explosion had erupted.
However, after searching with their eyes, they could not find Beartic's figure!
"Magmortar, use Double Team!"
Ethan's gaze tightened, and he gave the order directly.
But his order came one step too late, because at that moment, Beartic's figure suddenly appeared beside Magmortar and sent it flying with a punch.
"It's Beartic!"
"Magmortar was knocked back!"
"I see! The blizzard from before was only a feint; this was the real attack!"
The spectators also reacted, and at the same time, for some reason, let out a sigh of relief. As if they felt this was how things ought to be.
"What incredible speed!"
"Blaziken's speed was already extremely high, but this Beartic is even faster!"
Ethan's expression became even more serious. Blaziken's speed came from the Ability Speed Boost, but then... what was Beartic relying on?
"If we're talking about Ability... Beartic seems able to have the Ability Slush Rush or the Ability Swift Swim, right?"
"One doubles its speed in snowy weather, and the other doubles it in rain."
Ethan continued thinking while observing carefully, vaguely feeling that Beartic's speed was related to its Ability.
"Beartic, use Aqua Jet!"
At that moment, Beartic's figure moved again.
It planted both feet on the ground and, wrapped in a current of water, shot out like a rocket.
"Magmortar, Flamethrower!"
Magmortar quickly stabilized itself, and the fire cannons on its arms spat out flames. But just when the move Flamethrower and the move Aqua Jet were about to collide, cold suddenly enveloped the move Aqua Jet, turning it into an icy Aqua Jet.
Immediately afterward, the move Flamethrower and the move Aqua Jet collided with each other, and a fierce explosion rumbled across the field, with ice fragments flying in all directions before quickly melting.
"The explosive flames hit head-on!"
Seeing that, the spectators once again shouted in surprise.
In the previous battle between Magmortar and Blastoise, they had seen with their own eyes how Blastoise was taken down by the explosive flames.
Now, seeing that Beartic was also wrapped in that same explosive fire, everyone's hearts tightened. But the facts proved that Victor had not made Beartic charge like that for no reason; he had clearly already made preparations.
It was seen how, from within the flames, Beartic's figure shot out, leaving behind a long trail of water droplets that shone crystal-clear under the glow of the fire.
Boom!
In the next instant, Beartic arrived in front of Magmortar. The move Ice Punch concentrated on its fist and struck Magmortar's body directly.
Once again, Magmortar was sent flying, barely standing up in the distance in a rather battered state.
In this battle, Magmortar was being completely suppressed by Beartic!
"The icy Aqua Jet? Isn't that Ash's technique?"
"It used ice to defend against the explosive flames, then water to protect its own body, and afterward took advantage of Aqua Jet's speed to launch a surprise assault."
"As expected of Victor's Pokémon. That is the level of a competitor from the second half of the Elite Tournament rankings!"
Looking once again at both Pokémon, now facing each other again on the field, Ethan slowly let out a breath.
But there was no worry in his eyes.
On the contrary, they showed clear excitement.
At the same time, it could be seen how Magmortar stood up again, while flames began to burn violently over its body.
"Magmortar, the time has come to give it everything."
Hearing that, Magmortar nodded excitedly.
Right now, the combat techniques Beartic had shown were already completely suppressing Magmortar.
If Magmortar did not reveal its final card, this battle would truly become difficult!
"Hm?"
"You still have a card hidden?"
Seeing that, Victor's expression also became a little more solemn.
Until now, Beartic had always been battling by relying on its speed, without giving Magmortar the slightest chance to use the move Sunny Day.
And like that, he had barely managed to keep it suppressed. If Magmortar was still capable of releasing even greater strength, then his current method of battle would probably stop working.
"Beartic, Blizzard!"
Victor gave the order again, causing a fierce snowstorm to rise instantly over the stage.
"Magmortar, Overheat state!"
Boom!
In an instant, a terrifying fluctuation of energy suddenly exploded on the field.
Immediately afterward, the flames on Magmortar's body shot up all at once, scattering the snowstorm in a single burst.
Boom!
In the next moment, amid a cloud of steam, a deafening roar erupted.
Boom!
Another explosion suddenly resounded, and an intense fiery light expanded like fireworks exploding in the middle of the field.
Amid the smoke of the explosion, a figure suddenly flew out and crashed heavily into the protective wall.
"What happened?"
"That is... Beartic!"
"How can this be?! Beartic was sent flying!"
In the next instant, the entire stadium erupted into an uproar.
The Beartic that had been completely suppressing Magmortar just a moment earlier had been sent flying!
"MAAGGMOORRTT!"
At the same time, a blazing roar suddenly sounded.
A pillar of fire was seen rising into the sky, completely evaporating all the water mist.
And then, the spectators saw a figure wrapped in terrifying flames walk out from within.
The flames covering that figure churned without ceasing, giving off a chilling fluctuation of energy. Even the space around it seemed to be twisting.
Every time it took a step on the ground, it left behind a blackened footprint, as if it were a demonic god of fire!
"Hey... what is that?"
"What a terrifying fluctuation of energy!"
"It gives off an oppressive feeling! As if a force were being contained and could explode at any moment."
Looking at that figure covered by monstrous fire, a spectator could not help wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.
"It succeeded: Gigalith crystal's final ultimate technique!"
"In the documents, it was mentioned that Gigalith could directly use its core to create compressed explosive energy, an energy with the power to move mountains and shake the earth."
"And if you add to that Magmortar's special body as an explosive Pokémon and its Ability Flame Body, compressing the energy inside its own body makes it even more powerful than Gigalith. Describing it as capable of moving mountains and shaking the earth is no exaggeration."
Seeing the terrifying fluctuation of energy that Magmortar gave off in that state, Ethan smiled with satisfaction.
In that form, Magmortar, just like Vibrava when it used the Sand Dragon and Litwick in the Demonic Fire Shadow state, was perfectly capable of fighting above its level!
Although Victor's Beartic was very strong, had found its own path, and surely still had hidden methods it had not shown, in front of a Magmortar like this, it no longer had any chance to resist.
(End of chapter)