Facing Altaria whose stat changes had reached the same level as its own, Mega Audino kept dodging and searching for opportunities. However, the effect of its proud Baby-Doll Eyes was countered by the opponent, and with its moves losing out in direct clashes against Altaria, its defeat seemed only a matter of time in the eyes of most spectators.
During the battle with Mega Audino, Altaria displayed astonishing physical qualities. Its speed, strength, defense, and control over its moves had all reached an unbelievable level.
Now, Mega Altaria’s performance caused all four Elite Four and Chairman Nakai to turn their gaze toward Steven.
This scene was much like when Steven rose to the top of Hoenn years ago. Back then, he relied on his outstanding ace, the Shiny Metagross, to overpower Norman and suppress all the Elite Four.
“Incredible… This Altaria’s stats have been honed to the very limit of its species, no… it can be said to have surpassed that limit.”
Just like Steven’s silver Metagross, Altaria, having obtained Fairy Aura, had become an “irregular” Pokémon, displaying a terrifying foundation far beyond that of ordinary Pokémon.
The current Altaria had already surpassed that Metagross from back then; even within a Champion’s team, it would stand as an absolute trump card, a decisive force.
Terrance had made the right bet. Fairy Aura could easily counter Baby-Doll Eyes. Unaffected, Altaria effortlessly dodged the opponent’s Simple Beam, then suppressed it with sheer power, replicating its stat changes—this became the key point in Altaria turning the tide of battle.
With its Special Attack pushed to the peak, Altaria’s destructive power was far beyond what Mega Audino could match. After several rounds of exchange, and once its setup was complete, Altaria defeated Mega Audino and stood proudly on the field, waiting for Norman’s final Pokémon to appear.
“Well done, Altaria,” Terrance thought to himself.
At this moment, countless cotton-like feathers drifted through the air. Accompanied by Altaria’s Dragon Dance, they had formed a stable barrier. Moreover, Altaria had not expended much energy, and Terrance felt confident in facing Norman’s most troublesome Slaking.
“So it’s come to this…”
Norman sighed. He had thought that using Mega Evolution and two Slaking would be foolproof, but he hadn’t expected that he would still have to send out his first partner.
And it seemed that victory was drifting farther and farther away from him.
“Sorry, Max. Looks like Dad is going to break his promise again. In that case, I can only do my best to show you an exciting battle. I’m counting on you, Slaking,” Norman said silently.
Norman’s third Slaking combined the strengths of the previous two—it possessed tyrannical power and defense, along with the ability to control various types of energies. Although, when compared individually, it was inferior to the other two Slaking in either raw power or energy control, when combined, it granted this Slaking a far more unique capability.
Crackle—
The moment Norman’s final Slaking appeared, electricity surged around its body, intertwining with the bulging veins of its muscles. The flickering lightning made its gaze appear incomparably ferocious.
“Play Rough!”
“Ice Punch!”
After a brief standoff, both sides gave their commands in rapid succession. In the next instant, Slaking erupted with astonishing speed; its reaction speed, attack speed, and movement speed all chasing closely after Altaria!
Using the power of lightning to stimulate the brain and numb muscle pain, combined with the move Facade to unleash power beyond the body’s limits—this was the training direction of Norman’s Slaking.
Under the stimulation of the power of lightning, this Slaking gained unimaginable speed. Coupled with its powerful physique and its control over multiple types of energies, it could, for a short time, erupt with combat strength far surpassing the previous two Slaking.
However, once the burst period ended, this Slaking would be unable to continue fighting. Everyone could see this clearly—this was a kind of self-damaging technique, pursuing only a momentary peak. Realizing this, Terrance immediately issued his command, instructing Altaria to engage head-on.
This Slaking’s battle style was similar to Arcanine’s—reckless, fighting as if it did not care for its own life. The combat power it unleashed was astonishing. This method of stimulating the body with lightning made Terrance think of Ash’s Pikachu that had fused with a Light Ball. He wondered how Ash and the others were doing, had they collected the eight Johto region’s Badges yet, and when would they come to the Hoenn region…
Ice energy condensed into a vortex around its fist and collided with Altaria’s claws. In that instant, Slaking used Bulk Up to concentrate all its power into its arms. Most terrifyingly, black energy constantly emanated from its body, clashing with the power of lightning, forming what looked like a suit of armor.
“This Slaking is even more troublesome than the data suggests,” Terrance said solemnly.
“So it was hiding its strength,” the Top Trainers said gravely. The last time this Slaking appeared in the Champion League, it had only used the combination of power of lightning, Facade, and Bulk Up to enhance itself.
But now, on top of that, it had added the move Curse. This was practically pushing further down the path of self-harm.
“Those three moves alone aren’t enough to deal with this Altaria. Mr. Norman had no choice,” Drake said.
When Curse is used by a Pokémon without the Ghost type, it lowers the user’s speed while raising its attack and defense.
However, judging by the speed Slaking displayed afterward, there was no sign of its speed decreasing. The only explanation was that Slaking had intensified the stimulation of the power of lightning on its body, forcibly unleashing even greater mobility.
“Roar!!” In its fury, Slaking used Counter, redirecting force and smashing Altaria away, its aura terrifying.
Terrance’s Altaria had never been so one-sidedly suppressed, even when facing Diantha’s Gardevoir. This showed just how formidable Slaking’s current state was.
In the sky, Altaria flapped its wings, using the force of its cotton-like feathers to reduce the impact and stabilize itself midair. Then it dove down again!
At the same time, Moonblast rapidly gathered in front of it, forming circular waves that shot out swiftly. Dozens of Moonblasts blasted forward like missiles.
“He’s actually taking the initiative to attack. Facing such a Slaking, what is Terrance planning?”
All four Elite Four, including Steven, hold Norman in the highest regard. Some of them even wondered if they could emerge victorious against Norman who has mastered Mega Evolution and Cursed Armor of Thunder, but in the end, without actually fighting him, they simply had no way of knowing.
And yet, it was such a Norman who was now at a disadvantage against Terrance… the four Elite Four reassessed Terrance’s threat level.
Wrapped in the power of lightning and Curse, Slaking’s muscles swelled, its destructive power and defense astonishing. It tore through attacks and clashed with Altaria once more. For a time, the two Pokémon were evenly matched. Either Slaking took a hit, or Altaria did, leaving the audience exhilarated.
The collision of energy with energy, power with power, and Champion-level strength was a rare sight. This alone made the trip worthwhile for many spectators.
“Norman has already done his best. This opponent is indeed difficult to deal with. What surprises me is that Norman’s opponent chose to fight this kind of Slaking head-on, instead of stalling with tactics. Right, his name is Terrance, isn’t it?” Chairman Nakai stroked his beard.
In this state, Slaking was destined to be unable to hold out until Terrance’s final Pokémon appeared. To honor the immense price Slaking had paid for this power, Terrance and Altaria chose a direct confrontation, delivering a peak showdown of brutal, bone-crunching blows.
Such a battle was undoubtedly the most thrilling to watch, fully showcasing the combat power of both Pokémon. Soon, as the power of Curse grew denser, combined with Bulk Up, Slaking pushed its strength to its peak and unleashed destructive power surpassing Altaria’s. It dragged Altaria down and hammered it wildly with Ice Punch. Altaria, of course, resisted with all its might. Fairy energy burst forth in flashes, and a massive energy field spread outward, violently shaking the psychic barrier protecting the field and causing countless Psychic-type Pokémon maintaining it to break out in cold sweat.
“After cursing itself and stimulating its body with the power of lightning to gain tremendous strength, Slaking has finally collapsed… and its opponent, Altaria, is now completely frozen by ice energy, unable to fly… will this end in a mutual knockout?” the announcer said slowly, looking at the battlefield shrouded in rising mist once more.
At the same time, Norman looked at Terrance and couldn’t help but say, “In just a few years, you’ve grown to this level. Truly impressive… sigh, I just don’t know how I’ll explain this to Max when I go back.”
“Max will become an excellent Trainer,” Terrance said.
“Yes,” Norman smiled, then turned his gaze back to the field. “That flame hasn’t fully erupted from beginning to end, is that another one of your trump cards?”
“At the right time, it will be revealed,” Terrance replied without elaborating.
In the next moment, a sky-shaking blaze erupted across the field. The fallen Altaria was enveloped in flames, the ice covering its body melting rapidly. Though still heavily injured, compared to the utterly defeated Slaking, Altaria shone brilliantly, like a phoenix reborn in fire, radiating immense vitality once more.
At this moment, the entire Ever Grande Stadium fell silent.
In the 174th Hoenn Region Champion League regular season, Fallarbor Gym Leader Terrance achieved 17 consecutive victories, dominated the regular season and advanced to the Elite Four Challenge Competition in an invincible manner.
On this day, under the witness of various factions, the four Elite Four, the Champion, and Chairman Nakai, a question mark was forcefully marked against the ownership of the Hoenn League’s Elite Four seats.
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