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Hayata started with Incineroar. Having grown up in the Alola region, it was only natural that his best-trained Pokémon would be one of Alola's signature species.
However, something about this Incineroar's coloring seemed slightly off. As Luther remembered it, aside from the dominant red, Incineroar's fur should have had black stripes. This one didn't quite match that description.
The previously noisy arena fell silent in an instant.
The reaction inside the stadium was more or less what Hayata had expected after sending out a shiny Incineroar.
But now, no one was looking at his Incineroar.
A similar scene had occurred in the first round of the preliminary stage when Dakota sent out Darkrai.
And now, in the third round of the preliminaries, during the grudge match between Luther and Hayata, another Darkrai had appeared.
Luther hadn't attracted much discussion before because he used only Marill in two consecutive matches. Although Marill displayed remarkable strength, the audience couldn't intuitively grasp it. Most people simply assumed he was lucky.
Consequently, all the discussions related to Luther focused on how cute his Pokémon were.
The commentator froze for a moment. He had seen plenty of big moments before, but this scene...
A shiny Incineroar in the opening match should have grabbed everyone's attention. Yet Luther's Darkrai instantly stole the spotlight.
Hayata adjusted his mindset quickly. Incineroar was a Fire/Dark type, while Darkrai was a pure Dark type. Darkrai not only lacked a type advantage, but Incineroar could also counter it with its diverse Fighting-type moves.
The referee waved the flag, signaling the start of the match.
"Let's start with a greeting... Dark Pulse."
Instead of choosing a more effective move, Luther used Dark Pulse, which didn't seem particularly powerful.
The title of "Legendary Pokémon" was intimidating, but only if it was used by the right person.
Hayata opted for an aggressive approach: "Take it head-on, then use Revenge!"
It was a super-effective move combined with doubled damage—an absolutely perfect response.
Luther also thought it was perfect. He had originally intended to probe Incineroar's ability first. Now that wasn't necessary; Hayata had delivered the opportunity himself.
To ensure Revenge would land quickly, Incineroar dashed right up to Darkrai. As long as Dark Pulse hit, Incineroar could strike Darkrai immediately at this distance.
A mass of pitch-black light bloomed in Darkrai's hand. A Dark Pulse as thick as a barrel exploded in front of Incineroar. Just as Incineroar prepared to unleash its move, it was blasted backward several meters by the impact.
Forget touching Darkrai, after being hit by the Dark Pulse, Incineroar's entire body trembled in agony.
The commentator was the first to notice something unusual. This clearly wasn't the flinch effect from Dark Pulse. He interpreted it as Darkrai having struck a critical point, which explained why Incineroar was in so much pain.
At the edge of the field, Lucian whistled softly. "That looks like..."
"There's also the pressure from Darkrai's presence layered into it. Hakuya might understand that aspect better than we do. When it tried to use Revenge, the energy it gathered was cut off by Dark Pulse. Now it's backfiring," Flint added while leaning over the railing.
Flint added, leaning over the railing.
Incineroar knelt on one knee, its eyes bloodshot and its expression twisted in pain. The introductory technique that Etorre had taught everyone was how to identify the brief vulnerabilities exposed during a Pokémon battle.
The advanced test, however, was learning to suppress an opponent's move just as it was being released, achieving the effect of one move striking with the impact of two.
Luther had two Pokémon on his team that were exceptionally good at timing. One of them was Darkrai, who had been the first to master this technique.
However, this technique was ineffective against truly powerful Pokémon Trainers. As long as they trained their Pokémon to release moves through highly concealed motions, they could defend against it.
However, Etorre once asked everyone with a smile:
"How many Trainers at the League Conference would actually notice such details and then train their Pokémon to defend against them?"
Hayata certainly wasn't that kind of Trainer. His wide, open offensive style left visible openings. Darkrai didn't need to think; he could simply target the shifting "nodes" of vulnerability that appeared during movement.
Sensing something was wrong, Hayata hurriedly raised his Poké Ball, preparing to recall Incineroar.
"Dark Pulse."
Darkrai's speed far surpassed Hayata's hand movement. Before the Poké Ball's red light could envelop Incineroar, Darkrai unleashed a Dark Pulse, blasting Incineroar away and causing the recall beam to miss.
Hayata had indeed trained his Incineroar well. Even after taking two direct hits, it didn't fall. After a brief pause, it struggled back to its feet.
Hayata understood now, if he tried to recall Incineroar, Luther would have Darkrai pursue and interfere with him.
"Flamethrower!"
Hayata no longer dared to let Incineroar get too close to Darkrai. The strange state Incineroar had fallen into after being hit by a Dark Pulse still haunted him. He simply couldn't comprehend what had happened.
"Charge through and use Dark Void."
It was exactly that, charge straight through. Darkrai followed the path of the Flamethrower, tearing through the flames and emerging from the swirling firelight to appear directly in front of Incineroar.
Dark Void struck the stunned Incineroar, but it didn't immediately put him to sleep.
Incineroar stubbornly resisted the drowsiness. Acting on instinct, it gathered power into a Fire Punch and threw it before Hayata could give the command.
However, the immense power of Dark Void enveloped him. The Fire Punch was completely unable to break through the barrier.
Seeing that Incineroar was still struggling, Darkrai pressed both of his hands against the Dark Void barrier, increasing its power.
Finally, Hayata seized his opportunity. At the instant Incineroar fell asleep, he raised his Poké Ball.
"Nightmare."
Once again, the red light of the Poké Ball raced against Darkrai.
Darkrai merely closed his eyes slightly, and psychic power surged outward.
The overwhelming force of Nightmare flipped the Incineroar over. After that, Darkrai had the speed to flash in front of Incineroar and block Hayata from recalling it.
The referee hurried onto the field in surprise and confirmed the result.
"Incineroar is unable to battle. Darkrai wins."
The moment the referee finished speaking, Luther began to clap.
"Incineroar was well-trained."
He meant it sincerely.
Even after being hit at a critical point, Incineroar endured further damage and maintained its fighting ability. After being hit by Dark Void, Incineroar resisted sleep with sheer willpower and managed a counterattack.
Regardless of any grievances or conflicts between Luther and Hayata, objectively, there was nothing to criticize about Incineroar.
However, Luther overlooked one thing.
Hayata was a very proud person.
(End of Chapter)