A Golem's standard weight was 300 kg, but Bertha's was oversized even by that standard, looking to weigh around 500 kg.
It had also used its natural habits to root itself beneath the ground, making it even harder to move.
Against an opponent like this, Bruno and Machamp had not opted for a frontal assault. The level gap was too great, and Iron Defense and Harden had boosted its defenses even further. Whether they could break through was beside the point. What mattered was achieving their goal in the shortest possible time!
Rather than meeting force with force, they were better off overcoming strength with technique.
With its tremendous strength and expertise in lifting, Machamp could use its own body as a fulcrum to lever its opponent up and move it briefly.
This gave the contestants who followed a new approach to consider.
After Bruno left the field, the other contestants from the Johto Region took their turns. Sure enough, those with Water-type, Fighting-type, and Grass-type Pokémon still chose the more direct approach: unleashing moves!
However, they were destined to be disappointed.
Golem was like a solid lump of iron, firmly embedded in the ground as though it had become part of it. It did not budge!
Even with its weaknesses to Water and Grass, these low-level attacks could not break through its defenses.
By the time those contestants realized their mistake, the clock had not waited for them!
In the end, Advancement was out of reach!
As expected, those who achieved Advancement from the Johto Region were Bruno and a boy named Sōsuke, who used a Hariyama.
It was the Hoenn Region's turn.
Yong stood up and watched Will of the Elite Four walk onto the field.
The black mask Will wore made it impossible to read his emotions.