Baimu looked at the screen expectantly.
Gigantification battles are rare grand spectacles, and the simplified battle process of the simulator, which goes back and forth, can also make it quite entertaining.
The Superpower User entered the competition venue through a passage; the battlefield, as large as a stadium, was surrounded by audience seats on all sides, which at first glance could well exceed tens of thousands.
Unfortunately, the pixels were too blurry; he couldn't see clearly.
Opposite the Superpower User, there appeared a giant muscular man with a childish face and pink hair, wearing a straw hat and an outfit resembling a football uniform.
[You challenged Turffield Gym Leader Yalo]
Baimu remembered this Gym Leader had the title of "Farmer Warrior," popular with many women due to his gentle nature and strong physique.
Most memorable was that this guy didn't have a nose.
Wrong.
Should say the nose wasn't drawn; the official illustration showed only a round face with a few freckles.
As Baimu mused, music suddenly sounded in his ear.
He was startled, looked around, and met the gaze of the curious Dragapult behind him.
This guy had been behind him for a while, never understanding why he had so many expressions while reading the book. Is the story that exciting? If only it could read.
On the other side.
Baimu found the source of the music by following the familiar melody— the simulator's light screen.
After the musician, the simulator once again activated the sound function, playing the track he very much recognized from Sword and Shield Gym Battles, much like that World Cup melody.
Honestly, this Sword and Shield Gym Battle track is the soul of Sword and Shield. When he used to play games, he would drag the time until the song reached its climax before using Gigantification, just to get a rush.
Without this song, Gigantification battles would feel a bit lacking.
And now the simulator had kindly reproduced the song for him, making Baimu somewhat excited.
On the screen.
The Superpower User also released Drowzee to engage in a fierce battle with Yalo's Shiftry.
One had Psychic Attribute, the other Grass combined with Evil Attribute. The former was clearly weaker than the latter, yet surprisingly, Drowzee, as the ace Trainer in two regional tournaments, wasn't as weak as it appeared.
Its muscles weren't trained for show.
Thus.
Baimu quickly saw Drowzee form a Light Wall to withstand Shiftry's Evil Fluctuation, then zoom forward at top speed, grab its cheeks, and slam it into the ground.
With a bang, it dazed Shiftry, then pulled out a coin connected by silk thread, using Hypnosis Techniques in a space less than twenty centimeters.
Though Shiftry is an Evil Attribute Pokémon, it can only resist attacks of Psychic Attribute. It can't fend off Transformation Techniques and couldn't evade Drowzee's powerful Hypnosis Techniques.
Regrettable.
Superpower?
Perhaps it's short for "Super Energy."
Under Baimu's gaze, Drowzee, without waiting for Yalo to switch, unleashed countless Absorption Fists on Shiftry's forehead. Under the barrage of "Ora ora ora," the latter, too fragile in endurance, lost its combat ability before it could regain lost stamina.
Such brutally physical attacks made one doubt if this guy was Machoke dressed in Drowzee's skin.
Strength in two tournaments is terrifying!
[Your Drowzee defeated Shiftry]
Exclamations and surprised expressions emerged in abundance from the audience seats, clearly rare to them was a Drowzee like the Superpower User's.
Soon.
Yalo released his second Pokémon — a Cherrim in its overcast form.
The Superpower User didn't switch Pokémon, continuing to trust Drowzee's battle— evident by his reliance.
And as Baimu listened closely to the background music's progress… Hmm, it hadn't reached the climax yet, not too concerning. If the Superpower User released Gigantification at the climax, it would be immersive, but this kind of coincidence was unlikely.
The second battle was quite simple.
Drowzee, unlike Pikachu, which the script tortured into an acting king, exerted its strength where it could. Especially facing Cherrim, which transformed into sunny bloom under intense sunlight, it seemed to forget it was a Psychic Attribute Pokémon, pouncing forward with a Flame Fist!
To highlight its power, the image featured an exploding bubble shot in red-orange hues.
As expected, Cherrim was swiftly defeated by Drowzee.
[Your Drowzee defeated Cherrim]
Though only the first Gym, Baimu here couldn't help but doubt Yalo's merit as a Trainer. Did he really exert full effort?
Does the Gyms in the Galar Region decide Pokémon strength based on badge count?
Thinking about this, Yalo took out his third Pokémon, a green dwarf-legged dog with a body resembling a large fruit... or perhaps a donkey?
The background music suddenly changed.
The Superpower User and Drowzee seemed to feel something, frozen in place.
[You see Yalo recalled Appletun into Pokeball, which became enormous under the Gigant Bracelet's influence, a moment of intense concentration.]
Affected by energy nodes, the Superpower User obtained the Gigant Bracelet early but hadn't successfully performed Gigantification; he didn't even understand the process.
Unlike the game, the animation didn't have special alternate space known as Pokémon nests, so the Superpower User naturally couldn't practice Gigantification normally.
Baimu's face was calm, hearing the cheers from the background music, knowing the climax was approaching.
In a flash.
Yalo turned and threw the enormous energy Pokeball backward; the large object instantly formed, the terrifying figure like a giant mountain landed on the field, drawing a mass of excited screaming expressions from the audience seats.
—Gigantamax Appletun, with an apple body exuding nectar and a massive snake head and thick snake tail in its Gigantamax form.
That haunting sound, seemingly placing one in the World Cup scene, "Ah~ah~~~" also reached Baimu's ears.
Phew!
Thrilling!
He blinked, recalling that in the game, Yalo's Gigantified Pokémon was Eldegoss, only using Gigantamax Appletun or Gigantamax Flapple during the Champion Cup.
Looks like Yalo indeed went all out!
Thus seen, the Superpower User's combat power might be beyond his imagination… truly worthy of the Orange Talent, the strength foundation is solid!
The top four aren't a dream!
Baimu watched as the Superpower User made the Drowzee gigantified, two beasts in the football-field-sized venue engaged in a Gigantic Techniques duel mode.
Very thrilling.
Even in the pixelated style, the movement of the two beasts inside the venue still sent shivers down the spine.
But truthfully, only three attack opportunities exist.
The Superpower User obviously lacked experience here, not even inquiring about the various side effects of Gigantic Techniques, wasting three chances, causing Drowzee to finally fail against Gigantamax Appletun, defeated by its [Gigantamax Nectar].
Fortunately, Drowzee managed to drag out Appletun's Gigantification time and those three Gigantification attacks caused enough damage to Appletun.
So when the second Starmie entered, all it needed was to wrap up with Frozen Beam.
Starmie, though unlike Drowzee as a pure Machoke skinned Drowzee with a body covered in muscles, its tentacle strength was quite powerful, with a flick directly flying ten meters into the air, firing beams from high, akin to an alien.
Appletun still wanted to recover, but Starmie's actual action showed it what dreaming like a fool meant.
The battle screen froze at Appletun being frozen into a "frozen pear" moment.
[You defeated Turffield Gym Leader Yalo and obtained the Grass Badge]
A strange arc-shaped metal piece appeared on the simulator screen, unlike the previous six regions, the Gym Badge in the Galar Region didn't have a strong unique design sense, but could be assembled into a large metal disc.