Fujiwara Taka let out a cold snort.
Nathan had already anticipated this outcome before even using Frozen Tundra. After all, this was a Champion-level Fire type — how could it possibly be weak?
"Oh, is that so? Frosmoth, use Ice Age!"
Nathan gave the command again.
Ice Age was another new move that Nathan and Frosmoth had developed together during their time exploring the mystic realm. The inspiration for this technique had come entirely from the ice sculptures found at the snowy peak of Mount Futu within the mystic realm.
Frosmoth flapped its wings repeatedly...
Each beat of its wings condensed large amounts of cold air, drawing moisture from the atmosphere. Under Frosmoth's control, the moisture gradually transformed into blocks of ice — and not just ordinary ice, but intricately shaped sculptures!
Each ice sculpture was modeled after a Pokémon that Frosmoth had either fought against or seen before. These ice Pokémon were so vivid and lifelike that, if colored, they would be indistinguishable from the real thing.
But these weren't just ornamental sculptures — they could fight!
As the ice Pokémon materialized, they charged relentlessly toward Coalossal.
Seeing this, Fujiwara Taka frowned deeply.
"Coalossal, use Sand Tomb!"
Coalossal responded to Taka's command by dropping the flaming coals from its back. These burning chunks flowed and churned under Coalossal's control, forming a stream of molten, lava-like quicksand.
One by one, the ice Pokémon were melted as they plunged into the searing Sand Tomb, but the heat was steadily weakened by the endless wave of icy constructs.
Ice and fire — two forces of nature clashed like opposing torrents of war, constantly eroding, destroying, and regenerating.
Unfortunately, the spectators had to bear the brunt of this overwhelming battle.
The temperature in the stadium had become even more extreme. Some people with weaker constitutions could no longer tolerate the scorching heat or biting cold and had already left the Murakami Arena.
But a portion of the audience remained, unable to tear their eyes away from the spectacle.
After all, a battle like this could never be fully appreciated without witnessing it in person.
…
Due to the intensity of the battle, the World Tournament officials held an emergency meeting.
After deliberation, the officials decided to evacuate all spectators from the battlefield.
After all, the two Champion-level Pokémon had only just begun to clash, and the sheer destructive force they unleashed was already overwhelming. If the fight escalated further, there was a real risk of injuries — or worse.
Once the meeting concluded, World Tournament staff at Murakami Arena immediately began evacuating the crowd.
However, the absence of a live audience didn't calm the battle between Nathan and Fujiwara Taka. On the contrary, without the crowd to worry about, the fight became even more intense.
Initially, their clash was confined to the main battlefield. But once the evacuation was complete, the entire Murakami Arena effectively became their combat zone.
The cameramen, trying to film the battle, could now only rely on flying Pokémon to capture footage from the sky.
"Frosmoth, use Blizzard!" Nathan shouted from high up in the spectator stands.
Similarly, Fujiwara Taka had relocated to a new vantage point to command his Pokémon.
They had no choice — the power radiating from their Champion-level Pokémon made it impossible for the trainers themselves to remain on the battlefield.
Frosmoth spread its wings and took to the skies, releasing waves of freezing air.
A pitch-black cloud began to form above Murakami Arena.
Snowflakes fell from the cloud as fierce winds whipped through the air.
Each snowflake, carried by the storm, became a razor-sharp ice blade, slicing through everything caught in the blizzard's path.
The storm's reach was massive — it engulfed the entire Murakami Arena.
Coalossal, trapped within the storm, struggled under the relentless assault.
"Coalossal, use Fire Spin!" Fujiwara responded.
Centered on Coalossal, a swirling vortex of orange fire erupted.
The fiery cyclone spun wildly, resisting the force of the blizzard.
Once again, the Champion-level Pokémon clashed, their immense powers locked in a tug-of-war.
From high above, the cameramen filmed this epic confrontation, astonished by the sheer spectacle.
Such an unprecedented battle couldn't be described in mere words.
"So this is the power of a Champion-level Pokémon? This is insane!"
"From this day on, I'm going to raise a Champion-level Pokémon too!"
"Guess I've found my wallpaper for the whole year. Every single screenshot from this battle looks epic!"
…
Spectators watching the livestream online were absolutely blown away.
Some places had even opened betting pools, wagering on the outcome of the battle.
Every clash between Frosmoth and Coalossal ended in a draw — neither able to gain the upper hand.
Nathan couldn't help but admire Fujiwara Taka's strength. This was the first time someone had managed to fight him to a standstill even after he deployed a Champion-level Pokémon.
But Fujiwara Taka was feeling quite the opposite — he was frustrated.
He knew that Frosmoth was a newly captured Pokémon.
Meanwhile, his Coalossal had been with him for a long time. He had never used it in official matches, deliberately saving it as his ace — his trump card.
But now, even after revealing his trump card, it wasn't having the effect he expected.
He was actually being pushed back… by a Pokémon that had type disadvantage and had only been with its trainer for seven days!
"Coalossal, use Fire Blast!" Fujiwara Taka yelled.
Coalossal opened its mouth and launched a massive fireball straight toward the airborne Frosmoth.
"Frosmoth, use Icicle Spear!" Nathan countered.
The fireball and icicle missile shot toward each other, and in the blink of an eye, the two attacks collided mid-air.
BOOM!
The explosion from Fire Blast and Icicle Spear clashing was deafening.
Even the cameramen flying in the air felt their ears ringing.
While Icicle Spear was generally an offensive move, under Nathan's special training, Frosmoth had dramatically increased the spear's density and hardness.
The reinforced spear held firm through the explosion, resisting the impact of Fire Blast like a mountain standing tall amidst chaos.
"Frosmoth, use Ice Beam!"
At this point, every attack and defense was an attempt to probe for weakness, while carefully hiding one's own vulnerabilities.
The Ice Beam that Frosmoth fired this time was a full five meters in diameter — even wider than Coalossal's body!
"Coalossal, use Flamethrower!" Fujiwara Taka immediately ordered.
Coalossal's chest glowed as a column of fire burst forth.
The icy beam and fiery blast met in midair — and exploded!
The rapid expansion and contraction of air from the conflicting temperatures caused a series of violent shockwaves.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Explosions echoed endlessly through Murakami Arena.
The cameramen flying above began to worry whether the shockwaves would affect their position.
Murakami Arena itself, however, was in even worse shape.
All the windows had shattered, and the constant shockwaves produced powerful forces of both suction and pressure.
The stadium's windows — strong enough to withstand wind and rain — were no match for this kind of battle and soon turned to shards.
It wasn't just the windows. The spectator seating inside the arena had been torn apart and reduced to ruins.
Luckily, Murakami Arena was owned by the government of Valar.
If it had belonged to a private individual, that person would probably be crying tears of joy from the massive compensation they'd be receiving.
Watching as Coalossal's attacks were repeatedly neutralized while Frosmoth remained perfectly fine in the air, Fujiwara Taka was starting to get angry.
Why? Why was Nathan allowed to catch a Champion-level Frosmoth?
If it weren't for that ice-type Pokémon, this match might already be over by now.
If he were up against Volcarona instead, Coalossal might have been able to charge in and engage it in close combat — fire-types will resist fire-type moves, but it was also a bug type after all.
But this was an ice-type Pokémon captured right here in his own country — and it had thrown everything off balance.
He couldn't attack effectively, and defending was just as painful. If this continued, there was no doubt he would lose.
Coalossal simply couldn't touch Frosmoth.
"Arghhh! Nathan! There's no way you can beat me!" Fujiwara Taka shouted angrily, his voice echoing through the ruins of the Murakami Arena.
"That depends on how much skill you really have!" Nathan shouted back just as loudly.
…
"Coalossal, use Tar Shot!"
Coalossal raised a hand and pointed at the airborne Frosmoth.
Thick, pitch-black asphalt shot out like liquid bullets toward its target.
(End of Chapter)