The cruise ship slowly approached the harbor. Countless Trainers had come from all directions to watch, and quite a few took out their devices and started livestreams to record this unusual King Performance Match.
On the enormous exhibition stage, Shali wore an elegant evening gown, displaying her charms like a beautiful peacock. One simply had to get used to Pokémon Contest competitors looking this flashy.
Many spectators began cheering, calling out Sister Sally's name. After hours of online publicity and all sorts of "evidence" showing that she was no weaker than the Sandstorm King Queen, everyone had high expectations of her.
"Mr. Gongping, I look forward to learning from you."
"Yes, you will."
There was no need for further words. Since Gongping knew what this woman intended, he would not hold back. Becoming a king of the Kanto Region was the first step toward realizing his ideal. Since this woman stood in his way, he had to crush her with everything he had.
"Go, Altaria!"
The magnificent Dragon-type was the Pokémon type Shali specialized in. The instant her Poké Ball opened, countless patterns of ice and snow spread across the arena, creating a sacred, solemn atmosphere.
As Altaria appeared, countless lights circled around the Pokémon. Gongping quickly threw his own Poké Ball, and as the dazzling light faded, a Pokémon clad from head to toe in heavy armor appeared on the field.
Rhyperior, a Ground- and Rock-type Pokémon, was also Rhydon's evolved form. Rhyperior could fire rocks from the holes in those palms, and that full-body armor could withstand even a volcanic eruption.
"Altaria, use Ice Beam!"
Altaria opened with an Ice Beam, but compared with an ordinary Ice Beam, this one was far more brilliant. It carried all sorts of dazzling colors, giving an impression of tremendous power.
"Too slow!"
The flashy but impractical Ice Beam sacrificed attack speed for beauty. Rhyperior swiftly dodged and punched the ground, blasting countless rocks upward and leaving the entire field riddled with craters.
The destructive power of that punch...
In the spectator stands, Lorelei adjusted her glasses, and a faint glint flashed across them.
In terms of sheer destructive power, Rhyperior was even stronger than Swampert. Though a little sluggish when dodging, Rhyperior was more than capable of handling an opponent like this.
Completely unaware of her own problem, Shali continued ordering Altaria to fire Ice Beams. Dazzling light repeatedly swept across the field, creating a brilliant visual feast.
All sorts of elaborate ice sculptures emerged. Under the barrage of Ice Beams, Rhyperior seemed to find dodging increasingly difficult. Slipping across the ground made those movements look more and more ridiculous, and ice and snow even struck Rhyperior several times, causing some damage.
"Your Rhyperior is finding it harder and harder to move. Can you really bear to let your Pokémon keep getting hurt?"
Shali's words carried across the arena, prompting excited cries from many spectators. A Trainer who was so considerate toward her opponent and cared about the opposing Pokémon-this was the regional king everyone wanted.
"Sister Sally! I love you!"
"Dragon-type King Sister Sally!"
All sorts of chants and cries echoed across the arena. Shali and Altaria were in no hurry to pursue Rhyperior, instead continually demonstrating different ways to use Ice Beam. The visual effects were certainly spectacular.
Countless rays of light swept across the field, seemingly forming a deadly web of Ice Beams in midair. Just as Rhyperior appeared to be in grave danger, Gongping spoke quietly. "What a pathetic performance."
With a thunderous boom, Rhyperior suddenly unleashed all that strength, appearing before Altaria at incredible speed. An Ice Punch had formed around one fist at some point, and that fist shot toward Altaria, who was still releasing Ice Beams without restraint. The forceful, overpowering punch struck Altaria squarely in the head.
Altaria, who had still been firing Ice Beams, reeled, and all those Ice Beams blasted into their own user.
"Altaria's attacks showed off the moves' beauty, but had no accuracy whatsoever. It was all just a performance. In fact, Rhyperior wasn't injured at all, and was merely using the broken ice to conceal the buildup of an Ice Punch."
As an Ice-type master, Lorelei explained what had happened in the first round. Shali was indeed quite capable, but her drawn-out fighting tempo had instead given Gongping an opportunity to defeat her in a single blow. With Rhyperior alone, he had easily knocked Altaria out in an instant.
"How underhanded! A sneak attack without even calling out the move!"
"This guy is so rough."
In the spectator stands, many of Shali's fans began attacking Gongping. Although plenty condemned his methods, quite a few genuine Trainers also began reflecting on the details of the battle.
"I didn't expect your Rhyperior to know Ice Punch. That was certainly a miscalculation, but you won't be so lucky next time."
Despite losing the first round, Shali remained very composed. She believed that Gongping's sneak attack had been responsible, so she had not lost her cool. A Poké Ball spun rapidly in her hand, and she quickly released her second Pokémon.
"Dragonair!"
The same magnificent Poké Ball illuminated a dazzling Pokémon form. The moment the beautiful Dragonair appeared on the field, the entire arena erupted in enthusiastic cheers.
"Surf!"
"Sunny Day!"
Towering waves gushed from Dragonair's mouth and spread in every direction, creating a powerful, breathtaking spectacle. Rhyperior, however, used Sunny Day, shooting a fireball from that mouth that became a miniature sun.
Sunlight shone down, and the water seemed to lose much of its force as it struck Rhyperior. While Shali was still stunned, Rhyperior charged across the water's surface, reaching Dragonair in the blink of an eye.
A Fire Punch slammed out. Its savage force made Dragonair cry out in pain, and a trace of a burn appeared on that body.
Dragonair tried to counterattack, beginning to coil around Rhyperior in preparation for another Surf at close range. But Rhyperior simply clamped a firm grip around Dragonair's neck as an intense chill ravaged Dragonair's body.
Using Ice Punch and Fire Punch in succession, Rhyperior suppressed Dragonair's movements with brutally violent blows. Under the current sunny conditions, Water-type attacks that did not match Dragonair's own type dealt considerably less damage to Rhyperior.
Meanwhile, with Rhyperior gripping the burned Dragonair by the neck, a powerful chill penetrated Dragonair's body. The forces of ice and fire immediately reverberated within. Unable to withstand them, Dragonair spat out a mouthful of blood.
The sight of Dragonair apparently bleeding internally gave Shali quite a fright. She had never expected those injuries to be so severe.
The combination of Fire Punch and Ice Punch had caused internal injuries and bleeding in Dragonair?
"This is my combination move. It may not be as pretty as the moves used in Pokémon Contests, but its destructive power is quite good."
To Shali, Gongping's words were full of mockery. The beautiful Coordinator's expression changed, only for Rhyperior to begin the final attack, viciously whipping Dragonair against the ground with savage strength.
The frozen ground shook once more. Dragonair let out a scream and fell unconscious, completely unable to battle.
At that moment, the entire arena fell silent. Less than a minute had passed between Dragonair's Surf and Rhyperior's counterattack. Many found such an effortless, instantaneous defeat impossible to accept. Was the gap between a League King and an ordinary Ace Trainer really that great?
"Your Dragonair needs treatment for that burn right now."
Although Gongping was angry at Shali's methods, Dragonair was innocent, after all. Before Shali recalled her Pokémon, he warned her in advance about what needed attention during treatment.
Dragonair's injuries were probably worse than they imagined. Outwardly, they only looked like damage from Ice Punch, but in fact, Dragonair's internal organs were probably in a state of burning right now.
"I don't need you to remind me. Finish the match first!"
"Please have your Pokémon take this bottle of Burn Potion first!"
There was a trace of coldness in Gongping's voice as an invisible pressure swept over her. Shali had intended to refuse, but before so many spectators, the Coordinator showed a faint smile. "Thank you, King Gongping."
"This Sandstorm King looks pretty cool. He's cold and ruthless in battle, but he seems to have a gentle side too. And he's pretty handsome. That settles it-I'm his fan now. That Shali is just fake and disgusting, a total vixen!"
Online, a girl watching the match munched on potato chips, gazing at Gongping on her screen with the adoring expression of a fangirl.
Gongping's unintentional gesture of tossing over the Burn Potion had indeed earned him a measure of goodwill from many viewers watching the livestream.
Perhaps this guy was merely rough in battle, but a very gentle person at heart?
Before you continue