[First Arena Challenge Match: Challenger Roy vs. Champion Bado]
Seeing his name appear on the large screen in the preparation room, Roy walked out of the preparation room and headed towards the central passage leading to the First Arena.
After stepping out of the passage, Roy saw a muscular man in training clothes on the opposite command post, his square face revealing determination.
The host was currently riding on the back of a Pidgeot, passionately providing commentary:
"Today is our player Bado's tenth match. Let's wait Bado see if he can achieve his tenth consecutive victory!
His opponent is... well... Roy, a rookie from the Ring Arena in the Hoenn.
It was obvious that the host hadn't expected the tournament to arrange a newcomer to fight against Bado. After all, the tenth match usually involves the defending champion being matched against an opponent who, while not necessarily very strong, is at least evenly matched.
The audience erupted in cheers after the host revealed that the muscular Bado's opponent was a newcomer.
"Roy? A newcomer? No? Putting a newcomer to the tournament against Bado? Is the Saffron City Ring Arena trying to fix the match?"
"Bado fixed the match? Wouldn't he get beaten to death by the Elite Four Bruno when he gets back?"
"So Bado was just lucky?"
"No, it should be said that the newcomer was just unlucky."
Discussions were taking place incessantly in the audience.
Bado, sitting in the command seat, was also completely bewildered. Wait, why was a rookie assigned to him?
He was all ready to show off his newly acquired battle system, and instead they gave him a free match?
He was certainly willing to play in the bonus matches, since a ten-game winning streak would allow him to use the prize money he had earned from previous matches, and he wouldn't pass up these free Poké Dollars.
Then Bado noticed a handsome young man slowly walking up from the opposite command post. The young man was about the same height as him and had a very strong build. His smile gave off a sunny vibe, and for some reason, Bardo felt that the young man in front of him seemed to have the air of Fighting type Pokémon Trainer.
"Let's see if Bado can defend his winning streak or if newcomer Roy can break Bado's lead and knock him off the ring! The match begins!!"
"I'm counting on you today, Dragapult."
Roy sent out his Dragapult, giving the Dragapult a chance to familiarize itself with its new body through a battle.
Meanwhile, Bado sent out a Lopunny that was entirely brown, with cream-colored feet and fluffy fur, pink eyes, a small pink nose, and folded ears, which appeared in the Arena.
System Scan
Pokémon: Lopunny
Level: 62
Sex: Female
Ability: Limber (because the body Limber, it will not become Paralysis.)
Skills: Pound, Defense Curl, Splash, Focus Energy, Foresight, Bite, Return Kindness, Work Up, Baton Pass, Agility, Dizzy Punch, After You, Baby-Doll Eyes, Entrainment, Bounce, High Jump Kick
Held item: Lopunnite
Egg Move: Fire Punch, Sky Uppercut, Double Hit
Individual Values: 22
Technical Machine /Skill Transfer: Protect, Brutal Swing, Double Team, Sleep
The Lopunny warmed up by swinging its fists and using its long legs to strike various Fighting type poses.
It's hard to imagine a muscular man using Pokémon like Lopunny. If the opponent were just a regular Lopunny, Dragapult could Lopunny beat it.
However, Roy discovered through the System Panel that the opponent also had Lopunny Evolution Stone.
It's worth noting that after Mega Evolution, the Mega Lopunny's Ability becomes Scrappy, just like the Stoutland we encountered on the S.S. Anne.
Ability: Scrappy
Effect: Normal type and Fighting type- type moves can hit Ghost-type Pokémon. It is also unaffected by Intimidate.
The muscular man in front of me is not as simple as he seems.
However, his Dragapult wasn't made of dough either; his Dragapult also had a powerful move that was very effective against Mega Lopunny.
Bado?
Upon seeing the Lopunny on the field, Agatha, standing in the central stands, remembered hearing its name somewhere before. Back then, the Kanto League had given Bruno a Lopunny Evolution Stone and Key Stone.
However, since Bruno didn't have Lopunny, he gave the Lopunnite and Key Stone to his apprentice, whose name seemed to be Bado.
It seems the staff member meant to say that Bado possesses Mega Evolution.
However, Agatha's expression did not change. She had Roy come to the Ring Arena for a match so that Roy, who hadn't had a serious match in a long time, could get used to the rhythm of the Saffron Battle Arena. Winning or losing was secondary.
Dragapult?
Ghost type Pokémon?
Bado looked at Dragapult in the stands. Although he knew Roy's Pokémon's name and type, this was the first time he had encountered such Pokémon offline.
I never expected that the sunny-looking boy opposite me was actually a Ghost-type Trainers.
He might have had a headache encountering Ghost type Pokémon before, but now that he has Mega Evolution, he won't take Ghost type Pokémon seriously anymore.
He had originally planned to save his Mega Evolution for a surprise attack, but since that's the case, he'll use Mega Lopunny to get back at all the losses he'd suffered against Ghost-type Trainers over the years.
Sorry, young man! It all starts with you!
Bado then produced a fingerless gauntlet, inlaid with a Key Stone.
Bado put on the gauntlets and felt the connection between the Key Stone and Lopunny. Then, the Key Stone on the gauntlets burst out with a dazzling light, shining on Lopunny on the field, and Lopunny also burst out with the light of evolution.
"Lopunny, Mega Evolution!"
This was also the first time Bado had used Mega Evolution in actual battle, and it was clear that the opponent was very angry with the Ghost type Pokémon.
As the light of evolution ended, the Angora Rabbit's original body became more slender, the skin on its legs turned black, and the fur on its ears became much thinner.
The fur on its limbs is minimal, with only round, fluffy tufts of fur on its wrists and ankles. Its overall physique is light and taut, and its stance is aggressive, giving it a more combative appearance.
Mega Lopunny, here we come!