Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!

Claydol's vision blurred. Before it could locate Garchomp, a crushing impact coursed through its body.

Dragon Rush hit directly!

Watching his rival freeze mid-sentence, Silph Co.'s president couldn't help but relish the moment.

A slap in the face at lightspeed. If I were Joseph Stone, I'd want to crawl into a hole.

Even Steven's eyes betrayed his surprise.

This wasn't something he had anticipated.

If Garchomp had attacked even a moment earlier or later, the outcome would have been completely different.

Too early, and Trick Room would still have been active, turning Garchomp's speed against it.

Too late, and Claydol would have been on guard, ready to counter.

But Luo Yuan had struck at the perfect moment—just as Trick Room's effect dissipated.

Steven's mind raced. He had estimated the remaining duration of Trick Room but not with such pinpoint accuracy.

"How did he manage that?"

Seeing Steven's confusion, Luo Yuan smirked.

That's the advantage of a psychic trainer.

As a powerful psychic himself, Luo Yuan understood Psychic-type moves better than anyone.

"Claydol, can you keep going?" Steven asked.

Claydol nodded firmly.

While Dragon Rush had landed cleanly, its typing didn't give Garchomp an advantage. Claydol was battered but still battle-ready.

"Then let's keep fighting!"

But Steven's cool demeanor was beginning to crack.

This battle wasn't just for pride—it determined the fate of his family's company. That weight made it harder for him to stay composed.

Luo Yuan, meanwhile, was under no such pressure. While he was representing Silph Co., the stakes were low for him. If Silph Co. lost, they could still pursue markets in Sinnoh, Galar, and elsewhere.

This difference in mindset began to show.

"Claydol, use Psychic!"

Invisible waves of energy surged toward Garchomp.

Garchomp dodged and countered with a blast of Dragon Breath, resuming its hit-and-run tactics.

Steven planned to use Trick Room again to regain control, but this time, Luo Yuan gave him no chance.

"Garchomp, Twister!"

A spiraling torrent of draconic energy formed on the battlefield, sweeping toward Claydol.

Caught mid-preparation, Claydol was struck by the Twister, its eyes flashing with panic as it flinched from the attack.

Now's the chance!

"Finish it off, Garchomp! Dragon Rush!" Luo Yuan shouted.

Like a rocket igniting, Garchomp accelerated to its limit. The air screamed as it tore through the Twister, ripping it apart as it barreled straight toward Claydol.

Having just shaken off its flinch, Claydol looked up at the incoming Garchomp.

In that moment, it thought about everything.

As a Psychic-type Pokémon with high intelligence, Claydol understood the stakes. Through snatches of conversation, it knew how much this battle meant to Steven.

It was a fight they couldn't afford to lose.

Claydol's eyes hardened with resolve.

Pulling all its energy inward, it unleashed it in one devastating act.

Explosion!

A massive blast erupted, with Claydol at the center.

The explosion engulfed the oncoming Garchomp, its draconic aura swallowed by the wave of destruction.

The shockwave hurled Garchomp through the air, spinning violently before crashing to the ground.

Luo Yuan: "...?"

Really? You're playing like this?

You can't win, so you just blow everything up? Is this what being the Hoenn Champion means?

Luo Yuan turned toward Steven, whose expression mirrored his own disbelief.

Steven hadn't expected Claydol to use Explosion.

For a moment, the battlefield was silent. Luo Yuan and Steven stared at each other, both at a loss for words.

It was Lance who finally broke the silence.

"Garchomp and Claydol are both unable to battle!"

Lance's gaze shifted to Steven, a hint of reproach in his eyes.

"To think a Champion would resort to a double knockout strategy against one of Johto's Elite Four..."

Steven: "..."

He wanted to protest that this wasn't part of his plan, but with such a massive crater left in the battlefield, any excuse would sound hollow.

Fine. Believe what you want.

I threw my pride out the window the moment I agreed to this battle anyway.

Retrieving the unconscious Claydol, Steven handed it to a medical team. He turned to offer Luo Yuan assistance, only to see him kneeling beside Garchomp.

Placing a hand on the Pokémon, Luo Yuan channeled a burst of psychic energy.

In mere seconds, the previously fainted Garchomp stood up again, looking as if it hadn't been hurt at all.

Steven's jaw dropped.

"It's just a small trick," Luo Yuan said with a smile. "Don't worry, I won't send Garchomp back into the fight."

Steven: "..."

Why do I feel like he's mocking me?

Still, now wasn't the time to dwell on it.

Two rounds into the six-on-six battle, Steven had already lost two Pokémon. Worse, his Claydol had only managed to take Garchomp down by self-destructing.

Luo Yuan's strength was far beyond his expectations.

Steven exhaled deeply, centering himself.

His hand hovered over his Poké Balls before resting on one in particular.

"Go, Metagross!"

A burst of light revealed the familiar sight of Steven's ace.

The silver X-shaped Pokémon hovered above the field, its imposing red eyes locking onto Luo Yuan.

Metagross was Steven's signature Pokémon, his strongest and most trusted partner—on par with Lance's Dragonite as a defining emblem of its trainer.

Its presence alone was enough to intimidate most trainers.

But Luo Yuan, who had faced Pokémon like Rayquaza, Groudon, and Kyogre, didn't so much as flinch.

He simply smiled, plucking a Poké Ball from his belt.

---

T/N: COME ON CHARIZARD IT BETTER BE CHARIZARD!

...

Huh. You really stuck it out all the way to the end.

Didn't think you had the patience. Guess I was wrong.

WiseTL's the one who actually made all this come together. I'm just here putting a bow on it... or, well, shoving it in a backpack and calling it a day. Same thing.

If you had fun, you know what to do:

👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]

Heads up—Patreon's 50% off for all tiers during May. So if you were on the fence? Now's the time.

And if you're the social type, there's a Discord too. Pretty decent spot to hang out—no battles required.

👉 [discord.gg/wisetl]

Alright. That's enough standing around. Go on—before you make it weird.

—Leaf