Swanna spread its wings as if dancing in the air, elegantly avoiding all the fragments.
However, the moment it finished dodging them, the fragments suddenly exploded, turning into a cloud of dust that scattered through the air.
"Swanna, disperse it."
Susan frowned and quickly gave the order. But just as she finished speaking, Swanna's figure suddenly fell from the smoke.
Before everyone's astonished eyes, it descended stiffly, as if invisible chains had been placed on its wings, completely losing the ability to fly.
"Rock Wrecker!"
At the same time, Rhyperior launched another attack.
It placed its left hand over its right and raised its right arm, aiming at the falling Swanna.
Its muscles tensed and a huge amount of rock-type energy gathered. With a deafening roar, the move Rock Wrecker was fired.
In the air, Swanna could not dodge it and was struck head-on by that devastating move, comparable even to the move Hyper Beam.
Its body was sent flying and violently slammed into the protective wall.
BOOM!
The entire stadium shook. Spiderweb-shaped cracks appeared on the barrier, revealing the terrifying power of the attack.
"What... what just happened?"
Everything had happened too quickly.
Just a moment ago, Swanna clearly had the advantage. It had even dispersed the sandstorm.
Why did it suddenly fall from the sky? What happened inside that cloud of dust?
And that move? Its power was enormous!
If that was Rhyperior's true offensive power, then its attack also reached the Quasi-Elite level.
"Did you understand it?"
"What move was that?"
The students of Harvard Pokémon University frowned, mentally reviewing theories and move principles, but they could not identify it with certainty.
"Let's watch the second battle."
One of them spoke while turning his gaze back to the field.
After her brief surprise, Susan withdrew Swanna.
Then she threw another Poké Ball.
A Tropius appeared on the field.
Tropius resembles a herbivorous dinosaur: a grayish-brown body like the trunk of a tropical tree, a long neck, sturdy limbs, and three enormous leaves on its back that function as wings.
"Tropius, flying and grass type..."
Under Susan's doubtful gaze, Ethan withdrew Rhyperior.
After using the move Rock Wrecker, Rhyperior suffered the side effect of being temporarily unable to move, so withdrawing it was the best decision.
Otherwise, if it received a grass-type attack with quadruple damage, it could be seriously injured or even knocked out.
Moreover, Ethan did not want the side effect of the move Rock Wrecker to be discovered, since it could become an exploitable weakness.
After withdrawing it, he thought about his next choice.
If he wanted a quick victory, sending out his Quasi-Elite level Charizard would be ideal. But having already defeated one of the opponent's Pokémon, he decided it was a good opportunity for other members of his team to gain experience.
They were still in the group stage. The competition was not yet at the absolute highest level and, even if he lost a match, he would still have room.
It was the best moment for his weaker Pokémon to take the field.
Later they would not have the chance.
And besides... facing such a polite girl, he felt that sending Charizard to crush her directly would be somewhat inconsiderate.
After thinking for a moment, he took out Magmortar's Poké Ball and sent it into battle.
"Is that Pokémon the evolution of Magmar?"
The stadium once again filled with murmurs.
Many spectators had never seen that evolved form.
Although for the elite students of Harvard Pokémon University and the important figures of the various Leagues, it was not unknown.
Magmortar had appeared previously in the Cross Cup, and intelligence services had already sent the data to their respective Leagues.
"Magmortar... evolution of Magmar. But its evolution method is still a secret firmly controlled by the Daleron League."
A high-ranking member of the Federal League clenched his fist as he said it.
Magmar was not rare among the various Leagues and was one of the favorites among trainers specializing in fire-type Pokémon.
The method to evolve it had enormous strategic value.
Many had tried to negotiate with the Daleron League, but the conditions were harsh and the talks were still ongoing.
While the audience discussed, the battle continued.
Magmortar's style was similar to Rhyperior's: its arms, like cannons, launched serpents of fire.
In addition, it had mastered the technique Explosive Step, which gave it astonishing instant acceleration.
In fact, the instant explosion technique of Rhyperior's Rock Wrecker move had been developed by referencing that Explosive Step.
"Tropius, use Gust!"
At the start, Tropius flapped its wings and a whirlwind rose from the ground.
"And then Leaf Tornado!"
After creating the tornado, it generated numerous sharp leaves that mixed into it.
The move Leaf Tornado envelops the opponent with cutting leaves, and can even reduce their accuracy.
Combined with the move Gust, it transformed into a whirlwind of green blades that advanced toward Magmortar.
"Get ready. Use Fire Spin!"
"Magmmoorrtt!"
Amid excited roars, Magmortar raised its arms and launched two streams of fire that collided with the whirlwind.
With its constant firepower, the whirlwind was stopped in midair.
The flames were absorbed into it and soon the whirlwind turned into a tornado of fire, which exploded and scattered into burning sparks.
At that moment, an explosion rang out.
Magmortar shot forward like a rocket from the ground, instantly appearing in front of Tropius.
With its arm raised and fire-type energy concentrated, it launched a devastating Explosive Punch, sending Tropius flying.
As Tropius was driven backward, Magmortar wrapped itself in flames, gaining a brief ability to hover in the air.
It raised both arms and launched the move Flamethrower, two tongues of fire that engulfed Tropius.
BOOM!
Tropius fell to the ground, its body completely charred.
"Tropius has lost the ability to battle. Magmortar wins."
The referee immediately raised the flag.
The audience erupted in commotion.
Magmortar's explosive speed and the devastating fire bursting from its cannon-like arms created a huge visual impact.
Especially among trainers who owned a Magmar, whose eyes burned with desire.
If they obtained the evolution method, their strength would increase enormously.
"That guy is called Ethan Black, right?"
Suddenly, a student from Harvard Pokémon University murmured as if remembering something.
"Yes, why?"
"If I remember correctly... the discoverer of Magmortar's evolution method is a Pokémon Elite-level Investigator named Ethan Black..."
After he said that, the atmosphere became strangely silent.
Everyone looked at him in disbelief.
"Are you saying... that this Ethan is an Elite-level Pokémon Investigator?"
Several sharp breaths could be heard.
"It must... must be a coincidence, right?"
But as they looked at Magmortar on the field, even the one who spoke doubted his own words.
Same name and also using a Magmortar...?
Could such a coincidence exist?
But... a young man only 20 years old who not only possesses Quasi-Elite level strength, but is also an Elite-level Pokémon Investigator?
How could that possibly be?!!!
(End of Chapter)