Chapter 347: A Two-Pokémon Sweep!! Kenji's Second Trump Card!
Every eye in the stadium shifted downward, focusing on the crater at the center of the field where dust and grit still whirled in the air.
As the smoke gradually thinned, the scene was revealed. Arbok stood tall and rigid in the center of a shallow pit. Beneath its heavy coils lay Talonflame.
The scorched bird was flat on its back, wings pinned against the dirt and legs kicking weakly at the air. Its eyes were vacant; it had lost consciousness. It was a humiliatingly one-sided end for a Level 98 Champion.
High above, the stadium's massive virtual screens began a slow-motion replay of the final moments: Arbok utilizing the arena's overhead energy shield to kick off, reversing its momentum into that devastating Thunder Dragon Fang Rush.
Even at fifty-times slowed speed, the audience marveled at the sheer ferocity.
The "Thunder Dragon" had lanced through the sky like a bolt of divine retribution. Talonflame hadn't even stood a chance to react. Its Protect barrier, already weakened from absorbing the initial Dragon Scale Meteor Shot, had flickered and died the moment the electrified fangs made contact.
With its shield shattered, Talonflame had been driven straight into the earth. The impact alone was enough to end the fight, but the follow-up strike at point-blank range had ensured the knockout.
"Talonflame is unable to battle!!! Arbok wins the match!!"
The referee signaled the victory immediately.
On the field, the exhaustion finally hit Arbok. It let out a ragged hiss, and the violet glow around its body began to dim. Its muscular frame seemed to shrink, the dragon-like features receding until it reverted to its original Arbok form.
It had achieved a consecutive sweep against two of the Zhurong family's finest: an Level 97 Darmanitan and a Level 98 Talonflame. To secure those wins, Arbok had been forced to push its "Dragon Form" to the absolute limit. The stamina drain was catastrophic.
If it hadn't been for the Radiant Bloodthirster siphoning life from its opponents to keep its heart pumping, Arbok would have collapsed long before the final hit.
The level gap was simply too great for its current base form to bridge for long.
The Dragon Pattern is a god-tier power, Kenji mused. But it's too heavy for a Level 81 body to carry comfortably.
Kenji estimated that once Arbok officially reached Champion level (Level 90+), the duration of the transformation would double, and its power ceiling would skyrocket. At that stage, it might truly stand side-by-side with Beedrill as a "Master-rank Slayer."
But for now, the Dragon Form was a sprint, not a marathon.
"Return, Talonflame."
"Take a long rest, Arbok. You were incredible."
Kenji raised his ball, recalling the shivering, exhausted snake. Although its energy was spent, its body remained relatively unscarred. The "Disguise" and "Multiscale" layers had done their job perfectly.
"The next part of the plan... is all yours."
Kenji unclipped a second Poké Ball from his belt—one that hadn't seen a single minute of play since the tournament began.
Across the field, Xun Zhurong watched Kenji's hand with narrowed eyes. He showed no panic, but his focus was absolute. He didn't believe Kenji was stupid enough to reveal his ultimate trump card in the first few rounds of the finals. He was certain there was something hidden in that ball far more dangerous than the black snake.
"Go! Volcarona!"
"The stage is yours! End this!!"
POP!!! —
Two beams of red light shot into the arena.
Xun's third Pokémon, a majestic Volcarona, appeared in the sky, its six wings shedding embers.
But on Kenji's side, the result was bizarre.
The red light hit the floor, but when it faded, there was nothing there.
The center of the arena was empty. Only the scorched earth and the hovering Volcarona occupied the field.
"What the...? Where is Kenji's Pokémon?"
"I saw the light! It definitely hit the ground! Where did it go?"
"Is it invisible? Is he using a Kecleon?"
The audience erupted into confused chatter, everyone leaning over the railings or squinting at the screens, trying to find a trace of the second combatant. But no matter the angle, only the Sun Pokémon was visible.
Xun Zhurong frowned, his mind instantly jumping to Kecleon as well. But he dismissed it quickly. A Pokémon with a base stat total of 440 like Kecleon would never be used by a trainer of Kenji's caliber in the Top 6.
He knew many Ghost-types could hide their presence, but usually, they left a chill or a faint distortion. This was different. It was as if the Pokémon had entered the field and simply ceased to exist.
[Volcarona]
Gender: Female
Level: 97 (Champion)
Type: Bug / Fire
Ability: Swarm
Potential: S
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