"What... what is that?" someone whispered, their voice trembling.
"Dear Arceus... please don't let it be real," another spectator replied, equally shaken.
A terrible presence pressed down on everyone's hearts like a crushing boulder. Their fear emanated from the demon god that had materialized on the battlefield.
John folded his arms across his chest, a slight smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.
This was Gengar's Phantom General, a daedric entity that constantly exuded raw terror. Compared to other Ghost-type manifestations he'd witnessed, Gengar's demonic avatar truly lived up to the name "Demon God."
The figure possessed a humanoid form with massive wings spanning from its back, eyes that gazed coldly upon the world below, and dark orbs of energy circling behind it like malevolent satellites.
It was hard to fathom what Gengar's understanding of fear truly was, that he could condense such a terrifying figure using pure Ghost-type energy and the concept of dread itself.
Machamp, who had been charging forward, couldn't help but stop dead in his tracks, looking up in shock.
(What in the world is this thing?)
Machamp's trainer Glenn wanted to ask the exact same question.
With no way of knowing what they were dealing with, Glenn and Machamp only understood that this would be an extremely dangerous opponent.
Machamp stood his ground, he didn't flinch or cower, but as the enemy of this demon god, his steel-like body had already begun trembling involuntarily.
Glenn quickly noticed his old partner's condition and immediately pulled out a Dynamax wristband from his pocket, strapping it to his arm.
Without hesitation, he gave his command. "Dynamax!"
He recalled Machamp and released him with Dynamax energy.
A towering Machamp appeared on the stage, his fists now resembling pure molten lava given form.
Dynamaxing elevated Machamp's combat capabilities to an entirely different level, finally allowing him to stop trembling when facing the daedric presence.
"Still had Dynamax hidden up your sleeve?" John raised an eyebrow in surprise. He hadn't seen Glenn wearing the Dynamax wristband earlier and had assumed he didn't possess one.
Turned out it was just a hidden trump card.
But then again, who doesn't keep an ace in the hole?
John silently retrieved a purple crystal from his pocket and pressed it onto his Z-Power bracelet.
"Z-Move: Never-Ending Nightmare!"
John had originally considered using Dynamax as well, but since Gengar had already activated Phantom General, it would be too troublesome to recall and re-release him. Better to use the Z-Move and end this battle in one decisive blow.
Mega Gengar raised his hand, condensing a small dark purple energy orb similar to a Shadow Ball.
Pointing downward, he let the energy sphere fall into the opened dark spirit battlefield.
In the blink of an eye, the dark spirit battlefield began boiling like turbulent water, the dark purple terrain surging and writhing.
The Dynamax Machamp felt his footing give way as his feet sank into what had become a dark purple quagmire.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Countless ghostly arms stretched forth from the "swamp," grabbing his ankles, grasping his thighs, clutching his waist, shoulders, and head, all attempting to drag him into the depths of the spectral mire.
"Machamp, use G-Max Chi Strike!" Glenn commanded calmly, immediately going for his strongest attack.
The giant Machamp began struggling frantically, trying to gather all his strength to unleash G-Max Chi Strike and shatter all the phantom hands. But no matter how hard he exerted himself, the endless ghostly appendages were like a genuine quagmire, the faster he struggled, the deeper he sank.
Glenn's eyelids twitched as he couldn't help but think, 'What an absolutely ridiculous move!'
He quickly grabbed another Pokeball.
"Dragonite, use Hurricane!"
If the giant couldn't break free with his own strength, then he as the trainer would have to help with another Pokemon.
But just as Dragonite emerged from his Pokeball, before his small wings could even generate a proper gust, a black beam of devastating energy pierced through Dragonite's body. The powerful impact sent the dragon Pokemon crashing into the battlefield wall.
His rotund body slowly slid down from the wall, completely unconscious.
The main Pokemon, Dynamax Machamp, had not yet been defeated, but Dragonite, deployed as support, had been taken out in a single hit!
Glenn traced the black beam back to its source and saw a single finger.
It was the Phantom General who had obliterated Dragonite with a casual blast from one finger.
This proved the demon god wasn't just for intimidation, it possessed genuine combat power of its own!
Glenn's plan to release a second Pokemon to help his Dynamax Machamp was quickly abandoned. The Phantom General showed no intention of lowering that finger, giving off a clear vibe of: Send out another Pokemon and I'll instantly vaporize it too.
This left Glenn in an impossible situation, with Machamp powerless to resist.
Eventually, the Dynamax Machamp sank completely into the quagmire, triggering a massive explosion.
The violent eruption shattered even the dark spirit battlefield instantly, with the sounds of destruction echoing endlessly.
Through the thick haze, the Ferrum League battlefield returned to its original state. Even the ground, which appeared sturdy but was actually quite fragile, bore no trace of damage.
Many spectators were left speechless, somewhat dazed.
Wait... has the battle even started yet?
No, the battle was already over.
Throughout the crowd, cheers and applause erupted with renewed violence.
It had to be said that the Ferrum Region was no less enthusiastic about battles than the Galar Region.
Immediately, overwhelming applause filled the arena.
"Machamp is unable to battle! The winner is challenger John!"
On the flat ground, Dynamax Machamp had already reverted from his giant form, lying powerlessly with swirled eyes, having completely lost the ability to fight.
Glenn stared at his fallen partner. He hadn't experienced the sting of defeat in quite some time. Looking at this opponent who appeared roughly the same age as his own son, yet had thoroughly dismantled him...
Ghost-type moves couldn't super-effectively damage Fighting-types, but when faced with such an absolute gap in power, no matter how strong Machamp's physique was, there had been only one possible outcome.
[System Notification: Champions Defeated: 7/10]
[Note: When defeated champions reaches 10, the Pokemon Tournament will automatically begin, featuring all Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, and Champions that have been defeated!]
"Holy crap, that was a complete sweep! The former champion got taken down by a single move!"
Amid the roaring crowd, the referee, who also served as announcer, snapped back to reality and quickly made the official declaration.
Witnessing the final result, the entire Iron League battlefield fell into stunned silence before erupting.
"Poor Glenn... what a devastating loss!"
"Glenn and John aren't even in the same league as opponents!"
Glenn's mouth hung slightly open as he felt a profound sense of suffocation.
"Maybe... it's time for me to venture outside and see the wider world," he murmured to himself.
"Let us celebrate the coronation of our new Champion!"
John stood on the battlefield accepting everyone's applause, but his mind was no longer focused on this battle. Instead, he was contemplating the system notification that had appeared before him.