On the battlefield, Ethan Chen confidently threw out his second Poké Ball.
A flash of white light revealed Pupitar, its gray-blue shell gleaming like armor as it landed with a thud in front of Ethan.
As soon as Pupitar appeared, the crowd erupted with excited cheers.
"A pseudo-legendary Pupitar..."
Mr. King eyed the Pokémon with a grin of excitement.
A pseudo-legendary Pokémon!
The reputation alone was enough to ignite his fighting spirit.
"Heracross! Pin Missile!"
Wasting no time, Mr. King called out his command.
"Pupitar! Use Earthquake!"
Ethan's eyes narrowed with focus.
Pupitar raised itself slightly before slamming down hard onto the ground.
BOOM!
The entire arena trembled violently as a powerful shockwave rippled outward, rushing straight for Heracross.
"Heracross, fly up!"
Mr. King shouted quickly. Heracross was already weakened — taking a direct hit from Earthquake could be disastrous.
Despite its battered state, Heracross managed to flap its wings hard enough to lift itself off the ground, narrowly avoiding the Earthquake's impact.
Meanwhile, Heracross's Pin Missile attack was canceled mid-move.
"Iron Defense!"
Seizing the opportunity, Ethan gave Pupitar another command.
Pupitar's body glowed with a metallic sheen, raising its defenses significantly with Iron Defense.
"Even boosting your defense won't stop my Heracross!"
Mr. King smirked confidently.
"Heracross! Close in and use Brick Break!"
"Cross~!"
Heracross's claws glowed white as it zoomed through the air, rapidly closing in on Pupitar.
The crowd held its breath as Heracross dived closer…
Four meters... three meters... two meters...
"Pupitar! Scary Face!"
Ethan's voice rang out sharply.
Pupitar's face suddenly twisted into a menacing expression, dark energy radiating from its glowing red eyes.
Heracross's speed plummeted, and it visibly faltered mid-air, staring at Pupitar in fear.
"Heracross!" Mr. King shouted in alarm.
"Rock Slide!"
Pupitar growled as several large boulders materialized and hurled toward the slowed Heracross.
BOOM!
The rocks smashed directly into Heracross, sending it crashing to the ground with a painful cry.
"Earthquake!"
Ethan's voice carried a determined edge — this was for Steelix.
Pupitar rose slightly before slamming back down hard.
BOOM!
The ground shook violently once more, shockwaves surging forward.
"Heracross, get up!"
Mr. King called desperately.
Despite its injuries, Heracross gritted its teeth and staggered to its feet, narrowly dodging the Earthquake's shockwave.
"Is this thing made of steel or what?"
In the stands, Logan couldn't believe his eyes.
"How is Heracross still standing after all that?"
"Brick Break!"
"Pupitar! Crunch!"
Both trainers shouted at the same time.
Pupitar lunged forward with jaws glowing black, its fangs forming shadowy outlines as it attempted to bite down on Heracross.
SMASH!
Heracross's glowing claw slashed down hard on Pupitar's shell just as Pupitar's Crunch clamped onto Heracross's head.
Both Pokémon hit the ground hard.
"Come on… just stay down!" Ethan muttered under his breath, watching Heracross struggle to its feet.
Heracross groaned weakly, body shaking.
It took one shaky step forward...
...then collapsed face-first onto the ground.
"Heracross is unable to battle! Pupitar wins!"
The referee raised his flag to signal the result.
"YES!!"
"Cousin, you're awesome!"
"Oh, Ethan! My hero!! You're amazing!"
The crowd erupted in cheers, celebrating Heracross's long-awaited defeat.
"Heracross…"
Mr. King stared at his fallen Pokémon with a look of concern before recalling it to its Poké Ball.
"You did great," he whispered softly.
"That was incredible, Mr. King. Heracross was amazing!" Ethan called across the field with a grin.
Mr. King chuckled, shaking his head.
"You're a strong one, kid. But don't think this fight's over yet!"
"Pineco, you're up!"
He tossed out his second Poké Ball, and with a flash of light, a Pineco landed on the field.
"Honestly," Mr. King muttered with a sheepish smile, "I never expected Heracross to carry me this far."
He fondly recalled the day he'd chased Heracross out of his garden with a broom. Somehow, instead of retaliating, the bug had dropped its stolen watermelon and simply stared at him.
Feeling bad, Mr. King had softened and offered the watermelon back — and that was how Heracross became his partner.
"But other than Heracross, I only have Pineco," Mr. King laughed.
"Well then… let's see what you've got left, Ethan!"
"Pupitar! Earthquake!"
With another mighty slam, Pupitar sent shockwaves rolling across the field.
"Pineco! Self-Destruct!"
Mr. King grinned.
The arena shook with a powerful explosion as Pineco detonated, engulfing itself and Pupitar in smoke and debris.
When the dust settled, Pineco lay fainted... but Pupitar was still standing — battered but victorious.
"Pineco is unable to battle! Pupitar wins!"
"The winner is Ethan Chen!"
The crowd erupted in cheers as Ethan smiled proudly, clenching his fist in triumph.
"Finalists confirmed!"
The announcer's excited voice rang out.
"Our championship match will be Bella Quinn versus Ethan Chen!"
Ethan turned toward the giant screen displaying both his and Bella's faces.
This is it… the final battle.
One more victory — and he would be crowned the strongest trainer in Magic City.
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Advance chapter in PATREON
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