Chapter 201
"No... that can't be, right?"
"Ah... Ahhh."
"... Oh my god, what am I seeing?"
After a few seconds of silence, all the spectators let out incredulous shouts. In Pokémon Competition, many Pokémon push their limits and do things they've never done before, but those actions are still within the bounds of logic and are reasonable.
But what exactly is this?
Suddenly, the sword in his mouth emitted light, and then... shattered all twenty-odd attacks prepared by Old Man Nian Hai!
And it even attacked the Rapidash itself??
Are you kidding me? Are they dreaming, or has the world gone mad?
Even before the battle, Old Man Nian Hai had already acknowledged its strength; this Rapidash was an Elite Four-level Pokémon.
"... Such a powerful attack."
Nian Hai's hands trembled slightly. If he wasn't quite sure before, he was now certain.
"This Pokémon... is probably already at least Champion level, right?"
Only Pokémon of that caliber could evoke such a sense of powerlessness in him.
"I have no idea."
Qiao Ran shook his head. He couldn't answer the question from Old Man Nian Hai, since he had never battled a Champion- level Pokémon. Moreover, even among Champion, there was a clear gap in skill levels.
The level cap for Pokémon is 100; the Elite Four have only unlocked about half of these Pokémon's potential.
All I know is that she will become even stronger in the future.
"Therefore, this Hilbert should end."
A sharp glint flashed in Qiao Ran's eyes, just like the snarling, menacing Zacian in the Battle Court.
As the embodiment of battle, a hero among mortals, Zacian will transform all his wounds into nourishment for progress, and this battle, too...
It was just one of the countless victories she brought to Qiao Ran.
The Long Sword in Zacian's mouth once again burst forth with light; it was Galar's Sacred Sword, the king's sword that had cleaved through the Darkest Day and saved the world.
No one can withstand such an attack.
"Behemoth Blade!!"
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The battle continued, but as Zacian pursued him, Rapidash gradually lost the strength to resist.
"..."
Old Man Nian Hai did not switch it off the field, but instead let the Rapidash fight to the very last moment.
As Gym Leader, Old Man Nian Hai has never actively traded Pokémon during Gym Battle, not since his first day as Gym Leader. Although Old Man Nian Hai wants to enjoy battles as an ordinary Trainer, he cannot forget his responsibilities as Gym Leader.
Winning or losing doesn't matter.
If it can be converted into experience points for excellent young Trainer, then his will will also be passed on.
"Hiss..."
In one corner of the Battle Court, Rapidash once again failed to block Zacian's attack and was struck directly in the body by the blade.
The Rapidash let out a mournful cry and collapsed on the Battle Court.
The Referee immediately stepped forward to confirm, and after determining that the Rapidash was no longer capable of fighting, he raised the flag in his hand, his voice still trembling slightly.
"The Rapidash is unable to fight! The winner of the first Competition is the challenger— Qiao Ran!"
As the loudspeaker amplified the sound, the Referee's voice resounded throughout the stadium.
"... We really... lost."
"That's Gym Leader Nian Hai's ace Pokémon..."
Many people wore dazed, dreamlike expressions. Before the Competition began, no one thought Nian Hai would lose. After all, Nian Hai hadn't used any backup options this time, but instead sent out his strongest Pokémon. Having gone to such lengths, how could he possibly lose?
However, what happened before their eyes was a slap in the face. The wolf-shaped Pokémon they had never seen before, like the most elite swordsman, used dance-like, elegant movements to drive Rapidash step by step to the brink of defeat, and finally, it fell under her blade.
This is an undisputed victory.
Of course, besides some viewers who hadn't yet reacted, some cheered for Zacian. Although they had never seen Zacian before, her outstanding performance had won her a lot of attention and admiration.
A powerful and beautiful being will always be admired.
"Wow, that's amazing..."
Sitting in the front row of the audience, Xia Fei stared blankly at the scene before her. She no longer knew what she was feeling. She was in a daze, happy, surprised, confused... Perhaps she had experienced all these emotions before, but when Zacian truly defeated his opponent and scored a point with his dance-like sword skills, a mist seemed to appear on her face.
"..."
Sitting next to Xia Fei, Nian Xiaoxiao glanced at her friend and a smile appeared on her face.
Arranging Xia Fei here was actually a suggestion she made to her sister. After hearing that Xia Fei was Qiao Ran's cousin, Nian Hongyu agreed to the request without much hesitation.
However, Nian Hongyu was in no mood to care about the two younger ones. She was watching the Battle Court intently, not wanting to miss any detail.
Inside the Battle Court.
"... Aww!"
After the Referee announced the result of the Competition, Zacian looked at the fallen Rapidash and let out a Howl, which was both a declaration of victory and a sign of respect for his opponent.
Although the Rapidash's abilities were still some distance from hers, it still caused her some trouble, and for such an opponent, it deserved praise.
"... What a terrifying Pokémon."
Nian Hai witnessed all of this. The wolf-shaped Pokémon not only possessed incredible speed, terrifying skills, and formidable strength, but its flexibility, intelligence, and decisiveness were also impeccable. In fact, just moments ago, the Old Man Nian Hai had even sensed "conviction" emanating from this Pokémon.
Is this... really Pokémon?
"I lost the first match. If this continues, I might really get Shutout."
Old Man Nian Hai retrieved the fallen Rapidash and handed it over to the medical staff. Although he said this, a smile remained on his face.
To see Pokémon like this, to have such an exhilarating battle, even if you lose, you won't have any regrets.
"So, continue..."
Next, my Pokémon will be...
As before, Old Man Nian Hai released Poké Ball and made it Levitate in the air.
"Come out!"
As the Poké Ball slowly moved through the air and gradually opened, a Pokémon with a peculiar appearance appeared on the Battle Court.
"Reuniclus!!"
It was a Pokémon with a blue, jelly-like body and a shape resembling a cell nucleus. It Levitate quietly in mid-air, its body constantly rising and falling.
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"Reuniclus?... And a Flash one at that?"
Qiao Ran immediately recognized the other person's identity, and he also had his own thoughts on the other person's demeanor.
Ordinary Reuniclus are green, but this Reuniclus has a special blue color. This is not a sign of illness, but rather indicates that it is a very rare Flash individual.
This is my second Pokémon.
Old Man Nian Hai looked at Qiao Ran and began to narrate softly.
After the battle just now, he had basically figured out Zacian's fighting style. Although Zacian was so powerful that it seemed to have no weaknesses, the Pokémon he sent out was undoubtedly the opponent's nemesis.
How would you handle this?
He was anticipating Qiao Ran's solution, perhaps a good opportunity for his Pokémon to break through. However, facing this newly appeared Reuniclus, Qiao Ran took out his Poké Ball and, to the astonishment of Old Man Nian Hai, recalled Zacian.
So... it's been taken back?
I didn't expend much energy in that fight, did I?
Furthermore, Zacian had just won a major victory and was at its peak, so no Trainer would choose to capture the Pokémon at this time, right?
Why don't you consider continuing the fight and see what happens?
Nian Hai didn't understand Qiao Ran's behavior, but Qiao Ran still took out another brand new Poké Ball.
This time, he was going to send out another general from his own team.
If he doesn't give them all a chance to compete, it will be difficult for him, as Trainer, to manage the relationships between Pokémon.
"Come out!"
As he shouted, a gigantic, jet-black bird appeared in the Battle Court.
--That ferocious and majestic figure was like a huge dark cloud covering the Battle Court.
"Yveltal!"
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The first Competition has been won, but Qiao Ran still cannot let his guard down.
Zacian was his strongest Pokémon, even surpassing many of his other Pokémon. Her victory was not unexpected, but that didn't mean Qiao Ran's subsequent Competition would be so smooth sailing.
At the very least, achieving victory through pure strength like Zacian is probably not an easy task.