The instant the referee lowered his flag, a whistle rang out across Castelia Arena, igniting the crowd.
Almost at the same moment, Piers thrust his arm forward in one crisp motion.
"Come out, Incineroar!"
The Poké Ball traced a graceful arc through the air. Amid dazzling white light, a burly, muscular crimson figure crashed to the ground, radiating an oppressive presence.
Knotted muscles bulged along its thick arms, and fiery markings encircled its waist like a championship belt.
The moment it appeared, it unleashed a deep, intimidating roar. Its scorching breath seemed to warp the air around it.
Xia Chi was no slower, throwing his Poké Ball toward the other side of the field.
"Dragonite, get ready to battle!"
Another flash of white light appeared. Dragonite's round, orange-yellow body hovered in midair as it beat the small but powerful wings on its back.
Compared with the menacing Incineroar opposite it, its good-natured appearance seemed less intimidating. Yet its round eyes shone with the excitement and resolve of stepping onto a major tournament stage for the first time.
One on land and one in the air, the two figures faced each other across the shimmering artificial river that clearly divided the center of the field.
The opening Pokémon chosen by both sides immediately sparked heated discussion in the chat.
[Xia Chi's Dragonair evolved? He's already bringing it into an opener this intense? Can it handle this?]
[It'll be fine. Everyone saw how it did against Clay before evolving. Now that it's a pseudo-legendary Pokémon, it's definitely even stronger!]
[The key is that he's still got Mega Evolution up his sleeve. Wonder if Lao Shui will play his trump card right off the bat.]
[Piers has been hiding something too. Never saw an Incineroar among his main team before. Did he secretly