These words instantly caused a frenzy throughout the arena!
Former Elite Four member Moore personally joining the fray, and with such a generous wager, was an opportunity that was simply too good to pass up.
Not just for Lionel, but for any trainer, it was a huge temptation!
Livestream chat revealed an explosive explosion of comments:
[Holy crap! Senior Moore is going to personally go? This is incredible!]
[Fireblast! Overheating! This is an incredibly powerful Fire-type move, streamer, you have to agree! You'll regret missing this opportunity for the rest of your life!]
[Senior Moore also raised Blaziken, I can't wait! I'm going to bring my Combusken to watch and learn!]
[Although I know the streamer is under a lot of pressure, this is an opportunity we can't miss! Even if we lose, battling a former Elite Four member is invaluable experience!]
Lionel hadn't drawn the skills "Exploding Flame" and "Overheat" in the advanced lottery, as they were both high-powered moves with a naturally low probability.
If he could teach Larvesta these skills this time, it would be a great opportunity.
Lionel turned to look at Larvesta, its fighting spirit high.
Larvesta seemed to understand Moore's bet, nodding at Lionel, its antennae flickering even more joyfully, clearly also anticipating the challenge.
Lionel raised his head and said to Moore, "Alright, I accept this challenge."
The moment his words fell, a thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd; everyone was eagerly awaiting this unexpected duel.
Seeing Lionel accept the challenge, Moore first smiled and ruffled Flannery's fluffy red hair. As her fingertips brushed through her hair, her expression held a hint of doting affection for her granddaughter.
Flannery, however, turned her face away shyly, a faint blush rising to her ears.
The frustration of her previous defeat hadn't completely faded, and her grandfather's gentle comfort only made her feel awkward, forcing her to remain silent to mask her complex emotions.
The next second, as Moore turned to face Lionel, the gentle smile he had shown his granddaughter vanished like a receding tide.
In an instant, his expression changed completely, replaced by a chilling, ruthless look: "Go."
Moore's voice deepened, his fingertips lightly tracing the Poké Ball at his waist.
With a flick of his wrist, the Poké Ball arced smoothly through the air before being launched steadily towards the center of the battlefield.
"Bang!"
Before the Poké Ball's trajectory had even dissipated, the red light exploded.
A lithe figure, enveloped in a scorching gust of wind, burst through the air.
The moment his feet touched the ground, a dull thud accompanied by a gust of wind sent dust billowing from the edge of the battlefield.
The flames erupting from its wrists sent waves of heat through the spectators, causing them to instinctively lean back.
This was the final evolution of Torchic, one of the well-known Fire-type starter Pokémon in the Hoenn region.
Blaziken!
But Moore's Blaziken was clearly worlds apart from ordinary individuals.
It stood about two meters tall, a full head taller than its kind.
Its broad shoulders and back, covered in orange-red feathers, couldn't conceal its strong, muscular physique.
At first glance, it seemed like a Machoke in Blaziken's skin.
Even more striking were its legs.
Its thighs were full and bulging, the muscles knotted and thick like the roots of an old tree. Its calves were smooth yet powerful.
Just standing there, it exuded a terrifying, oppressive power.
After landing, Blaziken slightly tilted its head, its sharp eyes like those of a predator locking onto its prey, fixed intently on Lionel at the sidelines.
The fighting spirit emanating from his body spread out as if it were a tangible force, causing many spectators on the sidelines to subconsciously hold their breath.
[Pokémon: Blaziken]
[Type: Fire/Fighting]
[Category: Blazing Pokémon]
[Ability: Speed Boost (Slightly increases HP consumption, but the Pokémon's speed will continuously increase)]
[Moves: Flame Kick, Double Kick, Quick Attack, Flamethrower, Phosphor Flare, Foresight, Aerial Ace, Fire Punch, Bulk Up, Flamethrower, Overheat, Swords Dance, Endure, Last Stand, Low Kick —]
Lionel's gaze swept over Blaziken's stats, and when the word "Speed Boost" came into view, his pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
In the game settings of his previous life, Speed Boost was just a decent ability.
After all, in the turn-based game framework, you hit me, I hit you, and increasing speed each turn only gave you the advantage of going first.
But in real battles, the terror of this ability was magnified infinitely.
Real-world Pokémon aren't just data from the game, passively taking hits.
Blaziken can use its speed advantage to dodge attacks, find openings, and even launch a counterattack before the opponent's move is completed.
The speed boost from Blaziken's Speed Boost ability is passive, unlike using a move to increase its speed.
Its cost is merely a slight increase in stamina consumption.
This passive and continuously stacking speed boost, requiring no active use of moves and only incurring a small stamina cost, is arguably one of the strongest abilities in real-world Pokémon battles!
Upon seeing Moore's massive Blaziken, the audience couldn't contain themselves any longer, exclamations erupting like a tidal wave: "My god! What did this Blaziken eat to grow so big? It's so strong!"
"If my Torchic evolved to look like this, I'd be laughing in my sleep!"
"Just look at those legs, they look like they could easily kick rocks to dust!"
The live stream chat was also scrolling rapidly:
["Those muscle lines are amazing! My Machoke is drooling! Is this the level of Elite Four level breeding?"]
["It's like a completely different species from my Blaziken, the difference is too big!!"]
["Which Pokémon will the streamer send out?"]
"It feels like no matter who I send out, it won't be easy to win—"
Moore raised her hand to quell the noise in the arena, her gaze falling on Lionel, her tone casual: "Lionel, where are your other Pokémon?"
"Release them all so I can see which one you plan to send out to spar with my Blaziken?"
Lionel nodded, then raised his hand, throwing three Poké Balls from his waist.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Red lights flashed one after another.
The massive body of Tyrantrum, the elegant figure of Milotic, and the metallic sheen of Metang appeared on the field simultaneously.
As soon as the three Pokémon appeared, Blaziken's gaze swept over them like a hawk, finally settling on Tyrantrum.
It was spurred on by Tyrantrum's enormous size and its robust body covered in thick scales.