"Meltan can even perceive and open passages to the Secret Kingdoms!"
"If it can sense the spatial fluctuations that lead to Secret Kingdoms, detecting the reappearance point of Teleport is nothing for it."
A faint smile appeared on Ethan's lips. In fact, during training sessions against Slowking, Meltan had already been specifically practicing this aspect.
Now, facing Gallade, it had finally paid off: it precisely sensed the appearance point of the Teleport move and launched the attack in advance.
With the terrifying speed of the Electromagnetic Cannon, Gallade didn't even have time to react before being struck.
"Gallade has lost the ability to battle. Meltan is the winner!"
The referee, after a brief moment of astonishment, announced the result.
"Did the situation... reverse again?"
One spectator clutched his chest. The roller-coaster feeling was too intense.
After Charizard had been defeated in a single strike by Gallade, now Gallade had been instantly taken down by Meltan.
At this point, no spectator dared to predict the outcome.
Who knew if the next second reality would prove them wrong?
"In that case... only one Pokémon remains."
All eyes turned toward Adrian and his final Pokémon: Gastrodon!
In the air, Meltan's body emitted crackling electricity.
Around it still floated eight steel spheres. That was its final attack.
After the massive charge from the successive shots, Meltan had concentrated all of its remaining energy into them.
The outcome of the battle would likely depend on those eight charged spheres.
"Meltan, Electromagnetic Cannon!"
Ethan's eyes sharpened as he gave the command.
"Gastrodon, use Muddy Water!"
Both trainers perfectly understood the key point of the battle.
In an instant, the decisive confrontation began.
Facing Gastrodon, Meltan didn't hold back: the eight spheres shot forward simultaneously.
Gastrodon, on the other hand, knew it couldn't dodge them with speed. So it controlled Muddy Water to form a tornado of mud that completely surrounded it.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
The spheres, wrapped in lightning, plunged into the swirling mud.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Deafening explosions scattered the tornado, flinging mud in all directions.
"It hit directly!"
"Can Gastrodon withstand it?"
The audience watched nervously as the mud gradually dispersed.
There, among the mud, lay Gastrodon's figure.
"Did it lose the ability to battle?"
"It's over!"
Some spectators were already shouting.
"Wait, look at Gastrodon's body!"
Suddenly someone pointed.
An emerald-green glow was surrounding Gastrodon.
"That's the move Recover!"
Ethan was startled.
The move Recover allows the body's cells to regenerate and restores a large amount of energy.
Gastrodon also possessed extraordinary natural regenerative ability. With the help of Recover, its wounds began healing at incredible speed.
Everything happened within seconds. When the green glow faded, Gastrodon was already standing again.
Meanwhile, Meltan—after firing dozens of electromagnetic projectiles—showed clear signs of extreme exhaustion.
"Return, Meltan."
Taking advantage of the interval while Gastrodon used Recover, Ethan withdrew it.
Then he took out another Poké Ball.
With a thunderous roar, Tyranitar appeared on the battlefield and activated its Sand Stream ability. A fierce sandstorm spread throughout the entire stadium.
The audience held their breath.
The final battle was about to begin.
"I didn't think it would reach this point..."
In the competitors' area, several tournament participants sighed.
The fight had been so evenly matched that it had reached the final confrontation.
"By typing, Gastrodon should have the advantage," said Damian Frost, confident in Adrian's Pokémon.
"But Gastrodon was already severely injured. Even if it used Recover, it can't be in optimal condition. In terms of physical state, Tyranitar has the absolute advantage," replied Lucien Foster.
Ethan had already become the representative of the new generation.
"Let's keep watching. Either one winning wouldn't be surprising," concluded Jorge Holt.
On the battlefield, the sandstorm roared.
However, the typings of both Pokémon nullified the weather damage.
"Gastrodon, Muddy Water!"
"Tyranitar, Sand Tomb!"
Both trainers spoke almost at the same time.
Both intended to alter the terrain in their favor.
The ground began to transform.
Under Tyranitar's feet, quicksand appeared and spread in all directions.
Beneath Gastrodon, the mud turned into a wave that surged forward with force.
BOOM!
In the center of the field, the two forces collided.
The terrain was split in half: one side quicksand, the other a muddy swamp—clearly divided.
"They're evenly matched again!"
The audience watched tensely as the struggle for terrain control unfolded.
"If it's about controlling the field... my Tyranitar won't lose," Ethan said with a smile.
"TYRRRAAANN!"
Tyranitar roared.
The quicksand advanced, devouring the mud and enveloping Gastrodon.
Before everyone's astonished gaze, the Sand Tomb move swallowed it completely.
"Now, Tyranitar!"
Upon hearing the command, Tyranitar made a motion in the air.
The sand launched Gastrodon toward him.
In the next instant, Tyranitar raised its right claw and executed Dragon Claw.
BOOM!
With its terrifying physical strength, it sent Gastrodon flying.
The water-type Pokémon's body slammed into the protective wall, stuck there like mud, and then slowly slid down.
This time, it had no chance to use Recover.
The Dragon Claw, executed with Tyranitar's full physical power, drained the last of Gastrodon's remaining energy.
"I... lost..."
Adrian opened his mouth in disbelief.
Across from him, Ethan was smiling.
Tyranitar had grown by feeding on Smooth Rock. Any sand-related move in its hands was simply terrifying.
If Gastrodon had chosen another strategy, with the type advantage it would have been a problem. But competing for control of the terrain had been a mistake.
And part of the credit also belonged to Meltan.
Although Gastrodon had recovered with Recover, its internal condition was still fatigued. In that state, it couldn't overcome Tyranitar.
"Ohhh! We have a winner!"
The announcer shouted excitedly.
The stadium fell silent for a second... and then erupted into a deafening roar.
Ethan... had won.
He had defeated the one considered the strongest: Adrian Vane.
Although some had imagined it, seeing it become reality was difficult to process.
Adrian, one of the strongest rookies in history, even considered one of the best youth participants for the World Championship.
Before the tournament, rumors were already circulating that he would become the captain of the youth team.
Even within the League it had been taken for granted that he would be the champion.
And now... he had lost.
Defeated by Ethan, who was two years younger.
"Ethan... I'll remember that name."
"What a pity this is an internal tournament. Otherwise, his name would echo throughout the entire Daleron League."
"In the Daleron League? This stage is too small for him. His stage is the whole world."
"This time, the Daleron League will win!"
...
After the competition came the most anticipated moment: the allocation of resources.
After touring the League's treasury, Ethan obtained abundant rewards.
In addition to high-end food and supplies for his Pokémon, he also obtained a book of nutritious juice formulas compiled by the League.
Although they were intermediate-level recipes, their effects were impressive: increases to stamina, attack, defense, speed, mental power...
Just by their effects alone, their value was obvious.
Of course, since they were intermediate-level, their effectiveness was generally limited to advanced-level trainers. For professional-level Pokémon, high-quality versions were required.
Furthermore, the difficulty of production and the cost of materials reduced their commercial value.
But Ethan's case was different.
Thanks to Shuckle's Gluttony ability and its Grass-type Hidden Power, he could raise the quality of the juices by one level.
And if he turned them into Pokéblocks, the quality could improve even further.
Under those circumstances, that recipe book had incalculable value for him.
(End of Chapter)