Chapter 440: The Fall of the Old Guard
The toxic water in the moat had been almost entirely vaporized by the sheer heat
of the blast. Thick, violet steam curled into the sky, while the arena's
containment field emitted a high-pitched, violent hum—the sound of reinforced
barriers struggling to stabilize against the massive kinetic feedback.
This was merely the residual shockwave of Mega Starmie's Last Stand. Had the
star unleashed a raw, unfocused Explosion, the entire stadium might have been
reduced to a pile of scrap metal.
Lawson stared into the mist, his hands trembling slightly. In all his years, he
had never seen a Pokémon under Level 100 survive that hit. When Yuna Su had
challenged him for the top seat, her Legendary Zapdos had been grounded and
defeated by this very move.
As the blinding white light finally faded, a rhythmic sound echoed through the
silence.
Beep-tone... beep-tone...
In the center of the cratered floor, Mega Starmie was still hovering, but its
central red gem was flashing a frantic, warning red. It was the "Ultraman"
alarm—a sign that its core energy was depleted and its life force was on the
verge of collapsing. It was clinging to consciousness by a thread, and its Mega
Evolution was flickering like a dying candle.
"SHAAAA!"
A massive, obsidian shadow rose slowly from the boiling toxic sludge. Arbok had
emerged.
The serpent was in rough shape. Its scales were cracked, and blood seeped from
several deep gashes where the Supernova had pierced its defense. It looked
battered, but its eyes remained cold and lucid.
Unlike the star, Arbok was already healing. It had switched to its Serpent
Pattern: Mend, and the crimson energy of its Dragon Form was focused entirely on
its cellular recovery. The gashes were knitting together at a visible rate. In a
battle of endurance, the serpent had officially outlasted the star.
Mega Starmie let out a weak, metallic trill. It had nothing left—no energy for
Recover, and no strength to maintain its Safeguard.
"Qia…"
The light faded from the star's body as it forcibly reverted to its standard
form.
Beep-tone... beep-tone...
The alarm grew faster. Because the Safeguard had failed, the toxic fumes in the
air and the residue in its system finally proc'd. Without its psychic
protection, the last sliver of its 1 HP was snuffed out by the poison.
Lawson watched in stunned silence as his partner's gem went dark and it slumped
to the ground.
"Starmie is unable to battle! Arbok wins!"
The old master stood frozen for a moment. He was shocked that Arbok had survived
the Final Gambit Strike, but Kenji was equally impressed by Starmie's lethality.
Had the star been able to close the distance for a point-blank hit, the Last
Stand augment might not have been enough to save Arbok.
But Kenji's team was built on "cheat codes." Between Radiant Items and Hex Core
buffs, they possessed a layer of survivability that no amount of traditional
training could overcome.
With the "Cosmic Guardian" defeated, the rest of the match was a formality.
Lawson sent out his Pelipper to make a final stand, but the bird was facing a
Level 91, Half-Dragonized Arbok that was fueled by lingering rage.
Arbok unhinged its jaws, unleashing a Thunder Dragon Rush. A serpentine bolt of
black and yellow lightning tore through the sky, slamming into Pelipper and
sending it crashing into the moat like a wet rag.
"Pelipper is unable to battle! Arbok wins!"
"All six of Elite Four Lawson's Pokémon have been defeated! The winner is
Kenji!"
It was over. The four pillars of the regional League had fallen.
Kenji felt a surge of triumph, but also a quiet sense of gravity. He looked at
his hands, then at his Poké Balls. Only one person stood between him and the
throne.
"The waves really do push the old ones aside," Lawson sighed, recalling his
team. He walked over to Kenji, a self-deprecating smile on his wrinkled face.
"I'm old, kid. Truly old. I thought I had one more fight in me, but it seems the
world belongs to the new stars now."
"Lawson, you're still the sharpest trainer I've ever faced," Kenji said, and he
meant it. "I'm only standing here because I've had to learn from the best. I've
still got a long way to go."
Lawson laughed and patted Kenji on the shoulder. "Modesty is a good trait, but
don't let it dull your edge. You've conquered the Road to the Championship.
Huaxia's future is in your hands now, and for the first time in years, I can
actually sleep soundly knowing that."
Northeast Region: Elite Four Headquarters
"ACHOO!"
Rainey Chang suddenly let out a massive sneeze, rubbing her nose with a frown.
"Catching a cold, Director Chang?" Li Xisheng asked, looking up from his
paperwork. His eyes lingered for a second on Rainey's long legs, which were
currently clad in her signature stockings, before he coughed and looked away.
"You should stay warm, Rainey-姐."
Rainey waved him off. "I've lived in the Northeast my whole life, kid. I don't
get 'colds.' Someone's probably just talking about me."
She leaned back in her chair, a blissful smile on her face. She was only weeks
away from her official retirement. Soon, she'd be traveling the world, drinking
cocktails on a beach, and leaving the stress of "Regional Defense" to the
younger generation.
Back in his private suite in the Northwest, Kenji sat on the edge of his bed,
staring at the translucent System screen.
"DING! Would you like to extract your reward for defeating the Northwest Elite
Four?"
"Do it," Kenji whispered.
The prismatic wheel began to spin, blurring past familiar icons until it slowed
to a crawl.
"DING! Congratulations! You have obtained the Gold Hex Core: Late-Game
Specialist!"
"Late-Game Specialist?"
Kenji's eyes lit up. In the game, this was a legendary augment for "Fast 9"
players. It provided a steady stream of experience every round and granted bonus
health and attack speed to high-tier units. It was the ultimate "greedy" pick
that ensured your end-game board was invincible.
If the System localized this for the real world...
Kenji tapped the icon, his breath hitching as the description loaded.
[Gold Hex Core: Late-Game Specialist]
Effect 1 (Growth): All Pokémon currently on the host's team receive a permanent
passive experience gain of 5,000 XP per day, regardless of training.
Effect 2 (Apex Mastery): Any Pokémon on the host's team that reaches Level 90 or
higher gains a permanent 20% boost to their primary offensive stat and a 15%
increase in Move Execution Speed.
Effect 3 (The Grand Finale): Once the host enters a "Championship Match"
(Finals/Champion Challenge), all team members receive a one-time full recovery
of stamina and status.
Kenji leaned back, a wild grin spreading across his face. This wasn't just a
buff; it was a coronation. It effectively removed the "leveling grind" for his
lower-tier members while turning his Level 90+ aces into unstoppable gods.
"Zhurong Yun," Kenji said, his voice cold and focused. "I'm coming for the
crown."
♧♧♧
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