Hearing Shiro's words, Unown A released its psychic power and wrapped it around Bewear on the field.
Bewear shifted a little. It looked at its paws and felt like it had an extra layer of clothing.
"Again!" Shiro shouted. "Use Strength!"
Across the field, Raihan noticed the change, and a small smile tugged at his lips.
So he had a similar ability after all.
Then he would see whose strength was greater.
He shouted as well, "Duraludon, Outrage!"
Outrage made a Pokémon abandon all defense and even shut off its mind to boost its attack. It was one of the strongest Dragon-type moves.
They would settle it here.
Raihan held nothing back. He wanted to end the match with Outrage alone.
Once the move ended, the Pokémon would fall into confusion and be unable to stay in battle.
If they clashed move to move, Bewear's Thrash was actually a better choice. It was similar to Outrage, both ignoring defense and attacking wildly before confusion set in.
But in this situation, Strength was enough.
Shiro had complete faith in Bewear.
From the referees' stand, Ryan yelled, "This looks like the final strike! Raihan ordered Duraludon to use Outrage! Shiro's Bewear is using Strength! They're moving!"
On the field, Duraludon's eyes turned red as it charged, roaring. Heat waves poured from its body, warping the air. The burnt, brown ground cracked under its steps.
Bewear showed no fear. It felt stronger than ever, and the layer around its body felt like armor. Armor far tougher than the metal on its opponent.
"Rroar!"
They collided head-on with a roar that shook the entire arena.
They locked together and stopped in the center of the field.
Bewear gripped Duraludon's cylindrical arms, refusing to let go. Its expression grew serious.
Strength held back Outrage.
"Rroar!"
Duraludon shrieked in frustration. Its body twitched as it leaned to the side, but it kept trembling. In the end, it slowly rose from the scorched dirt.
Bewear lifted it.
"Beeeweaaar!"
It raised its arms as high as it could.
Raihan stared in disbelief as Bewear let go and followed the falling Duraludon with its right paw.
"Brick Break!"
Shiro's voice echoed through the air.
The sharp downward strike landed with unstoppable force. Duraludon stiffened. Its neck bent deep.
Boom!
A boom followed. It lay unconscious in a huge crater.
The entire Wyndon Stadium went silent.
* * *
"Raihan's Duraludon actually lost!"
In the lobby, Rylan could not hold back his shock.
He understood better than anyone. Raihan had already used Dragon Power. How could he still lose to Bewear?
That was Dragon Power.
Their clan had calculated it. Dragon Power boosted a Pokémon as if it gained five whole levels.
Outrage from Duraludon should have matched an Elite-level Pokémon's full-strength strike. Still, Bewear not only endured it but even overpowered it in return.
Was Dragon Power faulty? Or was Duraludon the issue?
Rylan could not figure it out.
"That should be Raihan's inherited ability…" Shae said slowly. She saw it clearly. "Shiro must have used something similar on Bewear."
"Similar?" Marvin asked without thinking.
The trainers who didn't understand much looked over, waiting for the experienced elder to explain.
"Something similar…" Shae sighed. "It should be psychic power."
Marvin grew even more confused. "Psychic power can be used on Pokémon? Wait, wait… Shiro is a psychic?"
Shae gave him a look as if he were an idiot and chose silence.
If Shiro was a psychic, how could Marvin not notice after being around him for so long?
Marvin let out an awkward laugh and dropped the question. He truly had never seen any sign of psychic power from Shiro. What would it even look like? Feeding himself without using his hands?
"Can Shiro win?" Nessa asked quietly.
Granny Shae shook her head. "I don't know."
Behind them, Leon frowned and murmured, "Raihan still has one Elite-level Pokémon…"
* * *
"That last Elite-level Pokémon is his real trump card," Oleana said with confidence. Even though Shiro held the advantage now, she did not waver.
"Mm…" Rose pulled at his hair. His fingers showed the chaos inside him.
What if Shiro beat Raihan and then defeated Leon… what would happen?
What if he became the Champion of Galar…?
Would the company arrest the new champion in front of the entire region? Tell millions of people that their champion was a traitor?
It made no sense.
Rose felt his head ache.
Oleana noticed and tried to calm him. "You don't need to worry. Raihan's last Elite-level Pokémon is very strong. With Dragon Power and Dynamax on top of that, it's almost equal to a Champion-level."
She pushed her glasses and added, "It will take up most of the field. One big area move will be enough to overwhelm Shiro's team."
"Ah…" Rose shook his head with a tired sigh.
Raihan had Dragon Power, sure. But Shiro had Psychic power. As for a Dynamax Band, he had that too.
How was that a trump card?
He did not expect anything and simply said, "Let's hope so."
* * *
On the field, Ryan's voice rang out.
"Amazing! Bewear's Strength defeated Duraludon's Outrage! Duraludon can no longer battle! Contestant Raihan, please choose your next Pokémon!"
The crowd finally snapped out of the intense moment. Cheers exploded across the stadium.
"Bewear!"
"Bewear!"
"Bewear…"
The roar of the crowd pulled Raihan back to reality. He took a deep breath and recalled Duraludon.
Now, only two of his Pokémon were still unharmed.
He hesitated for a moment, then saw Shiro return Bewear as well.
He understood at once. His fingers tightened around a Poké Ball.
The next round would be Elite-level against Elite-level.
Raihan threw the ball with full force and shouted, "Come out, Goodra!"
Following a burst of red light, a tall Pokémon stood on the battlefield. Most of its body was purple and smooth. It had a large tail and two powerful feelers that could strike or grab an enemy and toss them aside.
Slime covered its whole body. The slime on its hands and chin was the thickest.
Another pseudo-legendary dragon type appeared.
Shiro threw out his Poké Ball at the same time.
"Go, Drakloak!"
The blue-green body floated above the field as it looked at the strange-looking dragon across from it.
"Draaak~"
It couldn't understand why that dragon was covered in slime.
"Good... ra..."
Goodra answered softly.
It had a very gentle nature. Goodra as a species was kind and always tried to protect others.
Shiro didn't let his guard down just because it was a Goodra. He focused and checked its data.
[Name: Goodra
Type: Dragon
Level: 58 (Elite)
Ability: Hydration
Held Item: None
Moves: Aqua Tail, Tearful Look, Feint, Poison Tail, Acid Spray, Dragon Breath, Tackle, Water Gun, Absorb, Protect, Flail, Water Pulse, Rain Dance, Curse, Body Slam, Muddy Water...]
Its level was high, but roughly the same as Drakloak's.
He didn't see anything unusual about it. The real threat was probably Raihan's Dragon Power.
Raihan didn't hide anything. The light in his eyes turned his pupils bright yellow. The timid-looking Goodra also lifted its head and straightened its body.
"Gooooodra!"
War intent flashed in its green eyes as it locked onto Drakloak floating above.
'A!' Shiro called in his heart.
Unown A's psychic power wrapped around Drakloak's body.
It had Champion-level strength. After the test with Bewear and Duraludon, Shiro knew this boost was even greater than Dragon Power. And because it wasn't his own ability, there was no backlash either.
In truth, he had sent out two Pokémon. Unown A simply stayed invisible beside him.
Raihan didn't know, or care. His Dragon Power was already something beyond normal rules. If he could use it, then the other side using psychic power was fair.
No... maybe a trainer's strength was part of a Pokémon's strength.
A trainer's power was also the Pokémon's power.
Referee Ryan spoke at the right moment.
"Both Raihan and Shiro have sent out pseudo-legendary dragon types, and both are Elite-level!"
His voice dipped, then rose. "This feels like a finals match. Both Pokémon are ready. Which trainer has what it takes to move forward?"
**
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