Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!

Malva had left Indigo Plateau, her destination currently unknown.

Luo Yuan suspected she was heading out to personally investigate the situation with Celosia and the others.

However, he wasn't concerned.

Celosia's location was guarded by Surge and his team.

More importantly, Team Rocket's intelligence network ensured that no matter which city in Kanto Malva visited, her movements would be detected and logged—unless she left the region entirely.

---

"Dragonite, use Dragon Pulse!"

Dragonite opened its mouth, unleashing a powerful Dragon Pulse that blasted the opposing Blastoise off its feet.

Blastoise struggled on the ground, trying to rise, but Dragonite wasn't about to give it the chance.

With a casual flap of its wings, Dragonite sent a gust of wind that destabilized Blastoise, causing it to topple over again, fully exposing its trainer.

"Blastoise is unable to battle! Dragonite wins!"

After confirming Blastoise's condition, the referee announced the result.

Luo Yuan glanced at his opponent, whose face had turned grim.

It wasn't that the trainer had a weak mental fortitude—after all, even the least skilled of the Top 8 trainers would have a solid mindset.

But this trainer, the weakest among the quarterfinalists and a lucky entrant, had already lost five Pokémon to Luo Yuan's Dragonite alone.

Now, he was down to his last hope.

"Can I win...?"

The nameless supporting character trainer clutched his final Poké Ball, asking himself the question he already knew the answer to.

But with the battle reaching this stage, he had no choice but to fight.

"Go, Snorlax!"

He threw a Heavy Ball, and with a dull thud, a portly Snorlax appeared on the field. Its hefty frame made it clear it was well-fed and well-trained.

"Snorlax?" Luo Yuan raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.

From his opponent's expression, he'd expected some kind of trump card—not just a Snorlax.

"Let's finish this quickly. I have other things to attend to," Luo Yuan thought to himself.

Thanks to the psychic link he had established with Dragonite, his thoughts transmitted directly to his Pokémon.

Dragonite, catching the hint, looked at Snorlax with a deliberately condescending smirk.

Feeling the disdain in Dragonite's gaze, the opposing trainer gritted his teeth.

"Damn it!"

He shouted at Snorlax, "Show them your strength! Let them see what we're capable of!"

"Even if we lose, we'll lose with dignity!"

"Snor-laaax!"

Snorlax bellowed, charging toward Dragonite with surprising speed, throwing all its weight into a massive punch.

"Use Mega Punch!"

The punch, loaded with Snorlax's full strength, could have sent an ordinary Pokémon flying out of the arena.

But Snorlax's opponent wasn't ordinary—it was a towering Dragonite, far surpassing Snorlax in both size and weight.

Whoosh.

As the punch came barreling toward it, Dragonite simply raised a claw.

Thud!

The punch connected, creating a shockwave that rippled through the air.

And then... nothing.

Dragonite didn't budge an inch.

Its massive frame absorbed the force of Snorlax's charge as if the Normal-type Pokémon were a plush toy stuffed with cotton.

"Snor... lax?"

Snorlax stared, stunned, as its Mega Punch was effortlessly stopped.

While Dragonite stood firm, Snorlax found itself pushed forward by its own momentum, nearly toppling over.

Before Snorlax could crash into Dragonite, the latter tightened its grip on Snorlax's fist.

With a playful grin, Dragonite hoisted Snorlax into the air with one powerful motion.

"Snor!"

Snorlax let out a startled cry as it was lifted off the ground, its limbs flailing helplessly.

Overwhelmed by Dragonite's superior strength and lack of agility, Snorlax found itself utterly at the mercy of its opponent.

As Snorlax squirmed in midair, Dragonite, ever "thoughtful," pulled it into a rough embrace.

Of course, given Dragonite's massive size and immense strength, the hug was more than a little suffocating.

For the first time, Snorlax understood what it felt like to be overpowered—an experience it had often inflicted on others.

Pinned in Dragonite's grip, Snorlax froze, unable to move. Its mind raced as it struggled to process its predicament.

But Dragonite wasn't done.

With a single powerful beat of its wings, Dragonite launched itself high into the sky, taking Snorlax along for the ride.

"The Dragonite is flying! Is it going for...?"

The commentator gasped, his eyes widening.

"Sky Drop!"

This was the move where Dragonite carried its opponent into the air before dropping them from a terrifying height.

High above the battlefield, Dragonite reached a height just enough to knock Snorlax out without causing serious harm.

Looking down, it glanced at Snorlax and flashed a mischievous smile.

"Snor...?"

Sensing the impending danger, Snorlax froze, ceasing its struggles in a desperate bid to hold onto Dragonite.

But Dragonite had no intention of letting it cling on.

With a sharp flick of its wings, Dragonite released its grip, putting distance between itself and Snorlax.

"Snor... laaaaax!"

Snorlax screamed as it plummeted to the ground.

Its massive body became a blur, accelerating faster and faster until it was little more than a dark streak.

Boom!

The ground trembled as Snorlax slammed into the battlefield, leaving a massive crater.

Inside, the unconscious Snorlax lay motionless, save for the faint murmurs of "Snor... lax..." escaping its mouth, proving it was still alive.

Whoosh.

Dragonite descended gracefully, brushing its claws together as if to dust off a minor inconvenience.

It turned its gaze toward the referee.

Feeling the weight of Dragonite's stare, the referee flinched and quickly raised his flag. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Snorlax is unable to battle! Dragonite wins!"

"Trainer Luo Yuan advances to the semifinals!"

---

"..."

- Gardevoir

(End of Chapter—Support the translator at [patreon.com/WiseTL]!)