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Hyper Voice is a moderately powerful Normal-type special attack that serves as a reliable option for Pokemon lacking better offensive moves. While the technique is reasonably effective, it pales in comparison to the legendary Boomburst—widely considered the ultimate Normal-type special attack. Boomburst possesses no negative side effects, delivers tremendous power, and affects all opponents on the battlefield simultaneously.
The mere thought of Heliolisk or a Pixilate-ability Sylveon learning Boomburst sent shivers down the spines of competitive trainers everywhere. Such a combination would be absolutely devastating in tournament play. Sylveon in particular would become a terrifying threat—any Pokemon lacking resistance to Fairy-type moves would likely face instant knockout from a Pixilate-boosted Boomburst converted to Fairy-type.
On the battlefield, Heliolisk struggled desperately to regain its footing despite its severe injuries. The Electric-type Pokemon forced its battered body upright, opened its mouth wide, and began vibrating its throat intensely. A tremendous sound wave erupted from its vocal cords as the Hyper Voice attack took effect, creating visible ripples in the air as the sonic assault rushed toward Sceptile.
"Sceptile, use Giga Drain!" Jacob commanded, choosing to counter Heliolisk's desperate offensive with a devastating finishing move.
Rather than attempting to dodge the incoming sound attack, Jacob opted for a direct confrontation that would simultaneously defend and heal his Pokemon. Grass-type energy began gathering around Sceptile's body, forming into a razor-sharp spike of concentrated natural force.
The emerald projectile launched toward Heliolisk with incredible speed, piercing directly through the Pokemon's weakened form. Upon impact, the Giga Drain attack began its dual function—frantically siphoning Heliolisk's remaining life energy while channeling that stolen vitality back into Sceptile's body to heal its minor wounds.
Heliolisk was already critically injured from the previous Leaf Blade assault. In its current weakened state, the Pokemon simply could not withstand another powerful Grass-type attack. The energy drain from Giga Drain proved to be the final blow, causing Heliolisk to collapse completely to the arena floor, its body motionless as it lost consciousness.
"Heliolisk is unable to battle! Sceptile wins!" the referee announced in a clear, authoritative voice that carried throughout the stadium. "Lee, please send out your third Pokemon!"
As the official declaration echoed through the arena, Lee retrieved a Poke Ball from his belt to recall his fallen Heliolisk. Without hesitation, he immediately released his final team member into battle. "Swampert, you're my last hope!"
The massive Water/Ground-type Pokemon materialized on the battlefield with a confident stance. Swampert's imposing figure cast a long shadow as it surveyed its surroundings, its small but determined eyes locking onto Sceptile with unwavering focus. Despite the overwhelming type disadvantage it faced, Swampert showed no signs of intimidation or fear.
The crowd's reaction was immediate and vocal. Spectators throughout the stadium began discussing the matchup with animated excitement.
"Lee will probably lose this match," one fan observed matter-of-factly.
"Are you kidding me? Swampert has a quadruple weakness to Grass-type moves! There's absolutely no way it can defeat Sceptile," another spectator replied with obvious incredulity.
"Swampert is at a massive disadvantage due to type matchups. If only Lee had captured a Fire-type Pokemon for his team, the situation would be completely different," a more analytical viewer commented.
Despite the pessimistic chatter surrounding him from the audience, Lee remained completely focused on the battle ahead. His expression showed no doubt or hesitation as he gazed at his determined Swampert. With genuine conviction in his voice, he called out encouragingly, "Swampert, I believe in you completely! Use Ice Punch!"
"Sceptile, Leaf Blade!" Jacob responded immediately, showing no mercy despite his overwhelming advantage.
Both Pokemon charged toward each other with tremendous determination. Swampert's massive fist became enveloped in crackling Ice-type energy that crystallized the moisture in the air around it, while brilliant fluorescent green Grass-type energy materialized into a scythe-like Leaf Blade extending from Sceptile's arm.
"Bang!" The collision between the two attacks created a thunderous impact that reverberated throughout the arena.
In the direct clash of elemental energy and raw physical power, Swampert immediately found itself at a severe disadvantage. The combination of the significant size difference between the two Pokemon and the battlefield's Grassy Terrain conditions meant that Swampert simply could not match Sceptile's overwhelming force.
Swampert was knocked backward by the initial exchange, its footing lost as it struggled to maintain balance. Sceptile immediately capitalized on this opening, taking a decisive step forward to close the distance before its opponent could recover. The Grass-type's Leaf Blade swung in a perfect arc, striking Swampert's exposed torso with devastating precision.
With each successive strike, the fluorescent green Grass-type energy inflicted tremendous damage on Swampert's body. The quadruple weakness to Grass-type moves made every hit exponentially more painful and damaging than it would be against a neutral opponent.
Facing Sceptile's relentless offensive assault, Swampert found itself continuously forced backward across the battlefield. The Ground/Water-type Pokemon appeared completely unable to mount any meaningful defense against the barrage of super-effective attacks. Its injuries accumulated visibly with each passing moment, and its movements became increasingly sluggish and uncoordinated.
"Sceptile, finish this with Leaf Storm!" Jacob commanded, deciding to end the one-sided battle decisively.
A brilliant burst of fluorescent green light suddenly erupted from Jacob's Sceptile, creating an almost blinding display of natural energy. Endless streams of Grass-type power surged outward from the Pokemon's body, manifesting as countless razor-sharp leaves that began swirling through the air with increasing velocity.
The leaves formed into a massive tornado-like formation that completely enveloped Swampert within its devastating embrace. The Leaf Storm attack was one of the most powerful Grass-type moves available, and its area-of-effect nature made it virtually impossible to dodge or escape once caught within its range.
"Swampert!" Lee cried out desperately, his voice filled with concern for his Pokemon's well-being.
Following Lee's anguished call, the violent storm of leaves gradually began to subside. As the swirling green energy dissipated, it revealed Swampert's motionless form lying unconscious on the arena floor. The proud Pokemon had finally succumbed to the overwhelming power of Sceptile's finishing move.
"Swampert is unable to battle! Jacob wins the match!" the referee declared with finality.
The scoreboard displayed the decisive result: three victories to zero. Jacob had advanced directly into the tournament's top eight bracket with a commanding performance that showcased his team's exceptional strength and tactical superiority.
Compared to the grueling, hard-fought battle Jacob had experienced in the previous tournament round, this match against Lee had been a complete domination. Jacob's team had demonstrated absolute superiority in every aspect of the competition, from individual Pokemon strength to overall strategic planning.
Lee's capabilities as a trainer were ultimately insufficient to challenge Jacob's elite-level team. While all three of Lee's Pokemon had achieved Overlord-class status, and his Heliolisk had shown particularly impressive abilities, they still fell short of Jacob's exceptional standards.
Although Jacob's Sceptile was technically classified as an Overlord-class Pokemon, within that power tier it functioned as an almost invincible force. Very few Pokemon of equivalent classification could match its combination of size, speed, and raw combat ability.
Returning to his hotel room later that evening, Jacob settled onto his bed and began preparing for the upcoming competition scheduled three days later. Following the intense matches of the current round, all remaining contestants had been granted a three-day rest period to recover and prepare for the quarterfinal battles.
Jacob planned to use this time efficiently, dedicating hours to intensive Pokemon training while simultaneously studying his upcoming opponent in detail. As he had anticipated, his quarterfinal opponent would be Nikolas—a specialist Fire-type trainer with a reputation for aggressive battle tactics.
The upcoming battle between Jacob and Nikolas had already been dubbed the "Charizard Civil War" by tournament commentators and fans. The matchup would feature Jacob's special attack-focused Solar Power Shiny Charizard against Nikolas's Blaze ability dual-wielding Charizard that excelled in both physical and special combat.
Additionally, the battle would showcase a fascinating Grass-type mirror match between Jacob's massive Sceptile and Nikolas's swift Leafeon. The support matchup would pit Jacob's versatile Noibat against Nikolas's Drought ability Ninetales, which could control weather conditions to benefit Fire-type moves.
The highly anticipated clash had already generated significant excitement among tournament followers. Official promotional channels had released preview content and highlight reels to build additional hype for what promised to be one of the most competitive quarterfinal matches in recent tournament history.
During the three-day preparation period, Jacob focused intensively on enhancing his Pokemon's power levels while meticulously developing comprehensive battle strategies. He understood that preparation and planning would be crucial factors in determining the outcome of such a closely matched contest.
As the ancient military strategist's wisdom stated: "Know yourself and know your enemies, and you will win a hundred battles." Since Jacob possessed detailed knowledge of his opponent's ace Pokemon and preferred battle strategies, he absolutely needed to plan ahead and prepare thoroughly for every possible scenario.
Therefore, immediately upon returning to his hotel, Jacob placed an urgent phone call to his older brother, Asher, to inquire about a specific item he had requested several days earlier. He needed to know if there had been any progress regarding the Rock Slide one-time TM that he had asked Asher to help locate.
The Rock Slide TM represented a potentially game-changing advantage in the upcoming battle. Nikolas's Charizard possessed a quadruple weakness to Rock-type moves, while his Ninetales had a double weakness to the same attack type. If Jacob's Sceptile could learn Rock Slide, it would provide him with a significant tactical advantage that could determine the battle's outcome.
Nikolas's remaining Pokemon, a Chlorophyll ability Leafeon, possessed extremely low Special Defense stats despite its impressive speed. Jacob's Charizard should be able to eliminate it efficiently with powerful Fire-type attacks, making Rock Slide coverage for the other two Pokemon the key to victory.
However, Rock Slide TMs were exceptionally rare and expensive items that were not readily available for purchase through normal commercial channels. Jacob understood that acquiring one on such short notice might prove impossible, but he had to explore every available option.
"Brother, is there any news about the Rock Slide TM I asked you to help find a few days ago?" Jacob asked as soon as Asher answered the phone.
"Yes, there's been a development," Asher's voice replied, though Jacob detected an unusual tone that suggested complications. "But the situation is somewhat complex. The seller said she could provide it to you free of charge, but she insists on a face-to-face, in-person transaction to ensure the TM is delivered directly to you personally."
Jacob frowned with concern, sensing that this arrangement might involve more complexity than a simple business transaction. "Who is the seller?" he asked cautiously.
Asher's voice came through clearly: "You actually know the seller personally—it's Fairy-type Heavenly King, Raya. Only someone with her wealth and connections could accumulate such an extensive collection of rare one-time TMs. She indicated that she could arrive in Embermere City tomorrow to personally hand over the TM to you."
"Raya..." Jacob pondered the implications for a moment, feeling the beginning of a headache forming. Heavenly King's personal involvement in what should have been a straightforward transaction suggested potential complications he wasn't prepared to handle. "Okay, I understand the situation. Did you agree to her terms?"
"Of course I agreed! Why wouldn't I accept such generous terms?" Asher asked with obvious confusion. "Oh, you might not be aware of this, but Dad completed a significant stock exchange with the Raya Family recently. He traded ten percent of our shares in the Grass-type and Fairy-type secret realms in Starlight City for ten percent of their shares in the Fairy-type secret realm in Magic City. Our two families have entered into a formal cooperative business relationship."
"When did this major deal happen? How is it possible that I wasn't informed about something this important?" Jacob asked with genuine surprise. He couldn't believe such a significant family business decision had occurred without his knowledge.
"The negotiations took place during your intensive training camp period," Asher explained with an amused tone. "Dad said he was concerned about affecting your training focus, so he decided not to tell you until after the tournament concluded. Grandpa was fully informed and approved of the arrangement—it's actually a very beneficial deal for our family."
Asher continued enthusiastically, "In the stock exchange, we actually received the better end of the bargain. The Fairy-type secret realm is already fully developed and established, capable of generating stable profits immediately. Jacob, tell me honestly—do you have some kind of special relationship with Heavenly King Raya's daughter?"
"Brother, what are you talking about? Don't spread baseless rumors," Jacob replied with alarm, quickly attempting to deflect the conversation away from such dangerous territory.
"Still keeping secrets from your own brother?" Asher's voice carried a mischievous grin that was audible even over the phone. "A while ago, Grandpa mentioned that Raya had expressed interest in arranging a marriage between Julia and you—essentially a marriage alliance that would strengthen the cooperation between our two families. However, Grandpa explained that you were still competing in the High School Cup, and everything would need to wait until after the tournament concluded, so he temporarily declined the proposal."
"You little troublemaker, you're not being completely honest with me, keeping such important secrets from your brother," Asher continued with obvious enjoyment. "If Heavenly King Raya didn't want you as her potential son-in-law, why would she personally deliver a Rock Slide TM to you the moment she heard you needed one? An Heavenly King personally making a trip to deliver a TM to a high school student—Dr. Jacob certainly commands impressive respect and influence."
By the end of his statement, Asher's tone had shifted to one of genuine envy mixed with pride in his younger brother's achievements.
Asher's internal thoughts raced: When did my little brother become so outstanding and influential? I absolutely must work harder and strive to become a Heavenly King-level trainer myself. How can an older brother allow himself to be surpassed by his younger sibling?
"Comrade Asher! This is clearly the enemy's sugar-coated bullet strategy!" Jacob protested dramatically, though his tone carried underlying concern about the implications.
"Little brother, I have to admit that the enemy's sugar-coated bullets are incredibly effective," Asher replied with obvious amusement. "After the stock exchange deal was completed, Heavenly King Raya sent generous gifts to our entire family. She directly gave me an A-rank Fire Stone, which is worth a fortune. To be completely honest, I can't resist the enemy's sugar-coated bullet offensive. I think Mom can't resist it either—ever since receiving Heavenly King Raya's gifts, she's been beaming with happiness all day long."