Hoenn's Two Champions? Taken Down!

Meanwhile.

In the Hoenn Region, inside the manor behind the Sootopolis Gym in Sootopolis City.

"Elegant. Absolutely elegant!"

Wallace sat cross-legged on the sofa in the living room, looking at his friend beside him with a teasing expression.

Steven's face darkened. Knowing Wallace's personality all too well, he naturally understood that this was no compliment, but sarcasm.

Ten minutes earlier, he hadn't been particularly willing to start this match.

In his own words:

"A game where you can reach the highest rank just by spending a little money and playing casually isn't worth wasting too much time on. If I've got that kind of energy, I'd rather go dig up stones."

It was precisely that dismissive attitude that had earned him Wallace's mockery when his opponent forced him to withdraw Skarmory in a scramble.

"Well? Still think you can look down on Shuiye?"

Wallace raised his long, slender eyebrows.

Steven said calmly, "I wasn't looking down on anyone. His battling style certainly is aggressive enough."

"...Aggressive?"

Wallace gave him an odd look. "If you'd watched his streams, you would never use that word to describe him. This new strategy I asked you to try today was one he used first, too."

"In fact, it's only the tip of the iceberg of the strategies he's come up with."

Steven looked thoughtful. "It's rare to see you admire someone so much."

Wallace shrugged. "I just think his strategies are interesting. You know I've always liked interesting things."

He put on an exaggerated sigh. "I really don't know how I ever became friends with someone like you, who likes boring old stones."

Steven rolled his eyes almost imperceptibly. "Are we still playing or not? Your Whiscash is about to die."

Wallace hurriedly said, "Whiscash, use Protect!"

Steven actually didn't bring Metagross?

After a moment of surprise, Xia Chi immediately adjusted his mindset.

He really had taken too much for granted.

Who said Steven had to use Metagross?

With all the Electric-type Pokémon and Rillaboom on his side, the Ground-type Steelix really was the more suitable choice.

At this point, the newly arrived Steelix was certain to take the Electro Ball without suffering any damage.

When it rained, it poured.

On the other side, Whiscash's consecutive use of Protect actually succeeded!

As Rillaboom's sliding tackle failed to break through that transparent shield, Xia Chi and Iono's advantage quietly vanished.

A full-health Steelix, a Tailwind that was about to expire, and Spikes scattered across the field.

All of it meant Steven and Wallace were about to enter a powerful stretch.

"Chi, what do we do?"

Perhaps the pressure of facing two Champions was too much, because Iono blurted out Xia Chi's real name.

Focused on the battle, Xia Chi paid no attention to that detail. He said calmly, "Don't panic. Take out Whiscash first. Tailwind still has a little time left. Go straight past Steelix and attack Wallace's side!"

Better to take out one target than chip away at them all. Steelix's Steel and Ground typing not only made it immune to Electric-type moves, but also resistant to Flying.

Kilowattrel really had no way to deal with it. They were better off breaking through Wallace's remaining Pokémon.

Iono readily nodded. "Okay! Kilowattrel, use Air Slash on Whiscash!"

Xia Chi didn't issue a command immediately. Instead, he waited a moment.

He was watching Wallace's movements.

When he noticed that Wallace had chosen not to switch Pokémon, but to sacrifice Whiscash instead...

Xia Chi decisively withdrew Rillaboom and shouted, "Come out, Indeedee! Reflect!"

Wallace and Steven's earlier setup finally paid off. The female Indeedee had barely entered the field when three full layers of [Spikes] stabbed into her.

Her health bar immediately dropped by a quarter!

That was the power of three layers of Spikes.

Even if your opponent dealt no direct damage, you would quickly lose your ability to fight if they kept forcing you to switch.

But since Xia Chi had chosen to switch Pokémon, that meant he could afford the cost.

With Tailwind boosting her speed, Indeedee quickly set up [Reflect] upon entering the field.

Only then did Steelix's Rock Slide come crashing down.

Though it wasn't a same-type move, its high base power and super-effective matchup against Kilowattrel allowed the Rock Slide to deal a ton of damage.

If Indeedee hadn't put up Reflect in time, Kilowattrel would probably have been left barely hanging on.

Iono let out a long breath. "Whew, that scared me to death."

"It's fine. Just focus on attacking."

Xia Chi reassured her, "Leave the rest to me."

Though Iono was secretly delighted, she put on a brave front. "Hmph! Watch me wipe them all out!"

"Kilowattrel, use Electro Ball on Milotic!"

Milotic was the Pokémon Wallace had sent out from the back.

Tailwind had only a little time left.

Without [Charge] active, this Electro Ball wouldn't be as powerful as the one that had nearly knocked out Skarmory in a single hit.

But it would still be enough to deal a devastating blow to Milotic.

And once they took out Milotic, all they would have left to deal with were Steelix and the weakened Skarmory.

They would practically have victory in the bag.

Taking down two Champions at once?

That's Iono-sama for you~

Iono had just started imagining Xia Chi showering her with praise afterward when she suddenly noticed something.

Milotic didn't seem to have any intention of using Protect, and the move Steelix was preparing wasn't Rock Slide, but Gyro Ball!

Its effect was the exact opposite of Electro Ball's: the slower Gyro Ball's user was compared to its target, the more damage it would deal!

In other words, the last moments of Tailwind might become the final straw that brought Kilowattrel down.

Watching Milotic fire off a Hydro Pump in tandem, Iono's mood plummeted like a roller coaster.

Gyro Ball plus Hydro Pump-with Kilowattrel's current health and bulk, there was no way it could survive.

Had he deliberately held back Gyro Ball until he could attack together with Milotic, making sure I wouldn't have time to react?

That's Steven for you...

Just as Iono fell into despair, a steady voice came through her headphones. "Indeedee, Ally Switch!"

The instant he finished speaking, a light flashed across the screen, and Kilowattrel and Indeedee suddenly swapped positions despite the considerable distance between them!

The belated Gyro Ball and Hydro Pump struck Indeedee instead.

Iono stared, dumbfounded.

Ally Switch? Xia Chi had actually brought that move?

Although she knew this guy always brought strange, obscure moves, seeing that Ally Switch still filled Iono with the stunned relief of having narrowly escaped disaster.

"Leave the rest to me" hadn't been an empty promise.

Xia Chi had really done it!

"What are you spacing out for? Knock out Milotic!"

The voice that suddenly rang in her ears snapped Iono out of her daze, and she commanded, "Kilowattrel, Electro Ball!"

The rapidly spinning Electro Ball blasted toward Milotic like a missile.

Indeedee naturally went down in a heroic sacrifice, but her defeat allowed Tapu Rillaboom to return to the field without a hitch.

With a resolute expression, he stepped over the [Spikes] covering the ground, then launched a sliding tackle straight at Milotic.

Together with that lethal Electro Ball, it sent Wallace's Milotic crashing down as well.

The rest hardly needed explaining. Against Kilowattrel and Rillaboom behind Reflect, Steelix could do nothing.

In just two or three minutes, it went down alongside Skarmory, which had only a sliver of health remaining.

They had won this battle against Hoenn's two Champions!