Chapter 265
Nian Hongyu's understanding of Qiao Ran rose to a new level once again, however—at this moment, Qiao Ran, standing on the stage, was in a complete panic.
With his Pokémon's battle prowess, he's still slightly inferior to the Champion.
And the Pokémon in a fight are probably just a few.
"This is a friendly one-on-one Competition. Each side will send out one Pokémon, and the last one standing will be the winner."
Sabrina, standing in the middle of the Battle Court, announced the start of the Competition. As Pokémon Trainer, she was actually looking forward to this Competition.
"Both sides are ready! Please send out your Pokémon!"
The moment she finished speaking, a tense atmosphere spread throughout the Battle Court. Whether it was the Gym Trainer watching the match or Lillie and her friends who knew the two of them very well, they couldn't help but sweat and feel extremely nervous.
"I'll send out my Pokémon first."
Standing in the Battlefield, Cynthia seemed like a completely different person, transforming from a scholar full of bookish charm into a spirited and Pressure Champion.
With a gesture of her hand, a dragon-shaped Pokémon with a shark-like appearance and purple skin appeared in the center of the Battle Court, letting out a deafening roar. A boiling battle spirit emanated from it, even becoming a tangible current of air, causing Cynthia's Golden hair and black coat to sway gently in the breeze.
"So... powerful...!"
With just one glance, one could sense the other's power, and one's heart seemed to clench instantly.
Some Gym Trainer with weaker mental fortitude even took a step back, as if their bodies were subconsciously trying to escape the area—they probably didn't even know why their bodies were behaving this way.
Level: 72
Looking at the level displayed on the Rotom screen, Qiao Ran couldn't help but swallow hard.
Level 72.
Qiao Ran had never seen such a terrifying number. In this world, even if you divide this number by 2 and make it level 36, it would still be an extremely powerful Pokémon in the eyes of ordinary people. It might even be able to earn the title of Elite Trainer in a weaker Gym.
And what about twice as much as 36?
Although the numbers are double, the difference in strength has increased exponentially, to an extent that is now impossible to estimate.
"This... really... they didn't hold back at all."
Qiao Ran's heart was pounding. At this moment, besides fear, he felt mostly excitement and anticipation.
What can he do when facing a Champion?
"I can tell from your expression that you've been looking forward to this too, haven't you?"
Cynthia, however, already understood Qiao Ran's thoughts. As Trainer herself, she knew exactly what Qiao Ran meant.
"No matter how many difficulties we face, we will overcome them together with our Pokémon —I, Cynthia, will battle you with all my might!"
"Um."
The opponent has already sent out their strongest Pokémon, and of course, he also has to send out his strongest Pokémon.
"Come out!"
"Zacian!"
As Qiao Ran Fling the Poké Ball, a giant wolf with blue fur and numerous battle scars appeared on the Battle Court. A surging fighting spirit emanated from her. Surprisingly, even when facing the powerful Garchomp, she did not retreat a single step, and even—resisted its aura.
Countless battles have shaped her into who she is today. Even though her strength has declined compared to before, Zacian has never doubted that Qiao Ran can lead them back to the top.
Her sword was always ready, from beginning to end.
In the Battlefield, the battle is about to begin. The two Pokémon are staring at each other, waiting for their Trainer's commands. With just a single command, the situation on the field will surely change instantly.
Zacian has both advantages and disadvantages when facing Garchomp. Its advantage lies in the fact that Zacian Fairy type is super effective against Garchomp's Dragon/ Ground-type. However, conversely, Garchomp's Ground-type Zacian if Zacian enters King of Sword mode and becomes a Fairy type /Steel dual-type.
We must be careful.
Qiao Ran chose a more cautious approach. Although not entering King of Sword mode would prevent him from being affected by the double disadvantage of Zacian attacks, unlike in the game, in reality, if he didn't Bite that Sacred Sword, Zacian's strength would be greatly reduced.
This is a double-edged sword; it remains to be seen how Qiao Ran and Zacian will choose.
Garchomp! Stone Edge!
Qiao Ran remained silent, while Cynthia on the opposite side had already begun her attack.
Her first skill is a Rock type skill with a power of 100. What's most terrifying is that if you are hit by this skill, there is a very high probability that it will hit a vital point, increasing the damage to an even more terrifying level.
"Roar roar roar roar roar!!!!"
Garchomp roared and slammed its spiked right foot into the ground, causing it to shake violently as if Earthquake had struck. Immediately afterward, several Illuminate stone spikes shot out from the Battlefield and hurtled toward Zacian's location at an alarming speed.
So strong!
That's truly Champion -level skill.
Qiao Ran had never seen such rapid skill release and such terrifying destructive power. The Stone Edge even created Earthquake -like aftershock, which severely disrupted the opponent's movement.
Qiao Ran on the field, was on high alert, his mind racing as he considered how to respond. Meanwhile, Sabrina, the Referee standing on the Battle Court, used her Psychic to Levitate slightly in the air.
She gazed upwards—at the slightly swaying ceiling—lost in thought, her brow furrowed deeply.
These two guys... they really didn't give her, the Gym Leader, any face at all!
Stone Edge isn't Garchomp's signature move, but it still has considerable power. Zacian hasn't yet Bite the legendary sword and entered King of Sword mode, so Qiao Ran wouldn't let her tank the attack with her bare hands.
Most importantly, the hit rate of the Stone Edge skill is actually not high. Compared to Zacian's terrifying speed, using speed to dodge might be the best option.
"Zacian! Run!"
Even without a sword, the sword dancer still possesses extremely high speed. Facing the surging Stone Edge, Zacian Splash high to the side, skillfully avoiding the distance from the attack.
Not only Qiao Ran, who was observing the battlefield, but Zacian, who was also on the battlefield, possessed other treasures.
With combat experience unmatched by any other Pokémon, she has participated in countless battles where she Beat Up multiple Pokémon, and even traversed between gigantic Pokémon. Her body has experienced countless times how to dodge a single attack.
"Oh?"
Zacian's actions elicited a soft "Eh" from Cynthia. In her opinion, Qiao Ran's command was quite unclear, while Zacian was not only able to anticipate the situation but also achieved the best results with minimal effort.
The reason this was possible, besides the special methods Qiao Ran used to command it, is likely also due to the Pokémon's own judgment.
"As expected of a legendary Pokémon of the Galar."
Zacian's combat abilities also made Cynthia realize that this Pokémon was extraordinary, although she did not understand why its combat power was not as good as hers. Logically speaking, in the legends, those Pokémon at the top should be stronger than her.
Even so, Cynthia still felt a sense of impending defeat in front of Zacian. Although Garchomp had Defeat countless opponents, the sharpness emanating from this battle-hardened Hero still forced Cynthia to exert all her energy to deal with him.
Garchomp!
Long-range attrition attacks would be dodged by the opponent, so this time Cynthia chose direct Close Combat — Garchomp raised the blades on its hands and actually rushed into the sky—then, blue energy began to spread from the top of its head and quickly enveloped its entire body, gathering into the shape of a giant dragon.
"Dragon Rush!!"
Powerful Dragon-type energy swirled around Garchomp, and with each movement, the shark-like dragon hurtled towards Zacian's location like a jet engine.
Qiao Ran could even hear the air crackling; the Garchomp's speed at that moment was terrifying.
"That's amazing..."
The Trainer watching from the sidelines were completely stunned. If they were hit by that attack—what kind of Pokémon could possibly withstand it?
Nian Hongyu was watching the battle, also pursed her lips and remained silent with a solemn expression. This Garchomp had actually made her feel a sense of despair, a desire not to resist. It wasn't that her pride was insufficient to support her to continue, but rather that she couldn't even muster the thought of challenging it, given the sheer strength placed before her.
"Zacian!"
At this moment, Qiao Ran was facing an even greater Pressure. The explosive sound directly rushed into his ears. The blue dragon descended from the sky like a natural disaster, and Zacian had no room to hide.
"Snap!"
Ultimately, there is only one choice --
Even though he was unwilling a thousand times over, Qiao Ran still made that choice with her.
With her mane slightly unfurled, Zacian Bite hard on the broken, rusty blade. As the light shone once more, Zacian's form changed. Her previously scarred body became dazzling again, and behind her, her Golden mane spread out like wings.
She held the Golden Sacred Sword in her mouth, gazing at the dragon descending from the sky.
"Play Rough!"
There aren't many Fairy Type moves with physical attributes, but Play Rough Rumble is one. Although the name of the move doesn't quite match Zacian, the essence of the move is still pretty much the same.
Simply put, it involves enveloping your body in Fairy Type energy, rushing towards your opponent, and then—playing around like it's nothing.
If it were a regular Pokémon, it might just be a random, chaotic battle, but in Zacian, it's more accurate to translate it as "playing seriously."
A pink light enveloped the sword in her mouth, and with a movement of her body, she met the giant dragon enveloped in blue energy.
"Clang!!!"
A piercing and violent collision reverberated throughout the Battle Court, the energy surge even generating powerful wind pressure, and cracks appeared in the glass of the passageway next to the Battlefield, still affecting the area even from such a distance.
However, within the Battle Court, a completely different scene unfolded.
The giant wolf, gripping a massive sword blade, and Garchomp, their scythes locked in a fierce struggle, stared at each other intently, neither willing to yield.
"It actually happened...!"
The audience outside the arena stared wide-eyed, unable to comprehend this unimaginable scene. They had previously witnessed the giant wolf's battle with the Old Gym Leader, but to their surprise, what they saw in that battle did not seem to Pokémon the Pokémon's peak power or its full strength.
"Well done."
Cynthia praised Qiao Ran and then Garchomp to retreat, preparing for its next attack.
Qiao Ran opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He simply watched as the Garchomp left the attack range.
To other viewers, it seemed like the two sides had engaged in several back-and-forth, evenly matched exchanges, but Qiao Ran could clearly sense that the gap between them was still quite significant.
The feeling of Pokémon can be transmitted to Qiao Ran's body.
Just moments ago, a strong Paralysis sensation began to spread from Qiao Ran's lips, and even his body felt the powerful force.
It wasn't that he wanted to waste
It wasn't an opportunity, but... it wasn't an opportunity at all.
Zacian still stood proudly in the Battle Court, his magnificent fur concealing the scars on his body, his eyes still filled with fighting spirit.
But only Qiao Ran knew what she had endured during that collision to be able to stand there any longer.
This battle is not over yet.
He won't give up until the very last moment.
"As expected of Miss Cynthia."
"Yes."
"To train Pokémon to this level and have such teamwork, is this what it means to Champion?"
"I wonder when we'll be able to achieve that level."
Ordinary Trainer might not be able to see the clues on the battlefield, but Mei Mei, who knew Qiao Ran very well, still saw a bit of the trick. Qiao Ran's style in battle was that he would not give up any opportunity, and even if he saw the slightest possibility, he would execute it without hesitation.
This has always been his characteristic, and it is also his unique style.
When Zacian and Garchomp were engaged in close combat, it was clearly a good opportunity for Zacian, who is skilled in Close Combat, but Qiao Ran did not make any move.
Aside from the possibility that he had other considerations, in Qiao Ran's judgment, Zacian's close combat ability was likely slightly inferior to that of the Garchomp in front of him.
Even Mei and the others rarely saw Qiao Ran so cautious in battle.
"What's wrong? Are you already feeling unwell?"
Cynthia stretched out her hand and launched another attack.
"Garchomp, Earthquake!"
This time, she used Garchomp's signature Ground move, which is also Garchomp's signature move as a Garchomp: Earthquake, a powerful area-of-effect attack with a power of 100!
As Garchomp its Stomping Tantrum, a dazzling light swept across the ground, and the Battlefield floor began to shake rapidly. This tremor quickly spread to Zacian's feet, and a surge of energy swept over him.
In many situations, this move is not permitted. Typically, in Pokémon battles, it's only allowed outdoors in open Battle Court. This unwritten rule isn't because the move is particularly terrifying, but because using it indoors not only damages the opponent but also causes significant damage to surrounding structures—a situation even the Pokémon League struggles to handle. Nobody wants to completely renovate the Battlefield every time Pokémon uses its foot; the cost is simply too high.
However, the Earthquake that Cynthia used was like a precise scalpel; the energy of the vibration only spread to an area around Zacian, and even Qiao Ran, who was standing on the sidelines, did not feel a strong tremor.
"Is this what skill proficiency and control are...?"
The confrontation with the Champion, even in the smallest details, is terrifying and daunting; only by standing in front of her can one feel that clear sense of Pressure.
However, what terrifies Qiao Ran the most is the tactics Cynthia has used from the beginning until now—or rather, the complete lack of tactics. Her attacks are all pure force, without any fancy features.