The battle was about to begin. Axel and Briar gave up the field to Raihan and Flint.
Briar stepped onto the referee's platform and began explaining the rules of this match, "Today's battle is a 1v1 exhibition match. Mr. Flint and Mr. Raihan will each send out their own Pokémon to engage in battle."
"Neither side is allowed to attack the opposing trainer, nor to increase or decrease their held item midway through the match by any means outside of skills. All other rules are unrestricted!"
Hearing this set of rules, the crowd below instantly erupted into cheers.
During Raihan's stay at Blueberry Academy, the rumor that he could unleash Gigantamax even outside the Galar region had already spread across the school.
But hearing was one thing, witnessing it with their own eyes was another.
Almost everyone wanted to see that legendary Gigantamax with their own eyes at least once.
"Flint, you'd better be careful," Raihan crossed his arms and revealed his trademark smile.
"When Gigantamax is on my side, my Archaludon is invincible."
"Don't worry, my Infernape isn't weak either!"
Both Pokémon stepped forward at the same time. The freshly evolved Archaludon locked its blazing gaze on the Infernape in front of it.
This was Archaludon's very first battle since evolving.
But that didn't affect its confidence in the slightest.
Lately, it had been eating the same stone biscuits and small cookies as Axel's Duraludon every day, and the richness of its inner energy had skyrocketed.
On top of that, the immense power brought by evolution, even if the opponent activated Blaze at full health, it wasn't afraid.
Infernape likewise wore a serious expression, its body filled with fighting spirit as it stared at Archaludon.
Though Axel hadn't raised it for long, in that battle at the Dragonspiral Tower it had learned a lot.
As long as it could fully absorb those tactics, combined with the skill application it had learned from Gyarados, it might not necessarily lose to a Gigantamax Archaludon.
Thinking this, Infernape tilted its head slightly, catching Flint with a sliver of its gaze, its eyes narrowing ever so slightly.
'Trainer…'
'This time, I'll let you see what true strength really is!'
"Archaludon, use Earthquake!"
"Infernape, use Low Sweep!"
The two commands came almost at the same time, but because of the difference in move speed, Infernape rushed at Archaludon first.
As two of the top trainers in the world, neither had many secrets left to hide.
Flint knew very well. After evolving, Archaludon would gain the Stamina ability.
With that ability in play, Archaludon would only get bulkier the longer the fight dragged on.
So he had to have Infernape lower the opponent's speed first.
Infernape instantly went all fours, half-crouched against the ground, its figure nearly leaving afterimages.
Halfway there, Blaze ignited. The flames on its head flared high, crackling against the air with explosive pops.
As a near-champion-level Pokémon, most of the students present couldn't even follow its movements.
The aesthetics of extreme power.
Just as Infernape was halfway through, Archaludon finally reacted. Its two giant metallic legs lit up with a deep earthy glow and slammed to the ground.
The next instant, a violent seismic wave swept across the whole arena, roaring with thunderous booms.
Infernape was instantly struck by the quake, letting out a muffled grunt, but the flames on its head only burned fiercer.
Yet Infernape showed no intent of retreating.
It lunged in close and landed a kick.
With the combined power of Fighting-type energy and the Life Orb's boost, this kick carried terrifying force.
What's more, the angle was wickedly precise.
Faced with a kick straight to its weak point, Archaludon instantly collapsed to the ground, two light rings appearing around its body.
One from Stamina's defense boost, the other from Low Sweep's debuff.
Raihan and Flint both froze for a second.
'Why is this Infernape kicking the crotch?'
Before Archaludon or the two trainers could react, a black gleam flashed in Infernape's hand. It swiped across Archaludon's body.
The next moment, a red vest appeared on Infernape.
Flint: "???"
Though Infernape had known this move since it was caught, he had never trained it.
'Why did it just use it on its own now?'
Seeing Infernape's move, Axel grinned from not far away.
A mischievous Infernape line that could inherit Dark-type moves from birth, how could they not like such tactics?
The only problem before was that it couldn't get its jacket off.
On the other side, Raihan's lips were twitching.
'Well, well, well, good for you, big-eyebrowed Flint!'
'Back when I surfed the web, your fans always said your battles were wild and straightforward.'
'Now it seems, they were all paid bots!'
'To hide your true battle style even at this level…', even Raihan couldn't help but see Flint in a new light.
'But… giving the Life Orb to Archaludon will turn out to be the most irrational decision of your life!'
Raihan drew a deep breath, wasting no more time. The Dynamax Band on his wrist shone with dazzling light.
The Blueberry Academy students retreated in an orderly fashion, the practiced smoothness of it almost heartbreaking.
In no time, a huge swath of the central plaza had been cleared.
At the same time, Raihan completed the Gigantamax.
Like a towering mountain, Archaludon let out a long, resonant roar, radiating a terrifying draconic cry.
Even Flint's eye corners twitched madly, this was his first time facing Gigantamax directly.
Back when he watched Raihan battle Leon from the stands, he only felt awe.
But standing here himself now, Flint only felt overwhelming pressure.
It was like, one stomp and he'd be crushed to death.
And that was no exaggeration.
Gigantamax Archaludon's sheer size was beyond imagination.
Combined with the Life Orb's boost, even Raihan himself couldn't imagine what kind of attack it could unleash now.
"Infernape, don't be afraid! They may have a special power system, but we have bonds!"
Flint half-squatted like a martial stance, fists clenched tight, his voice crisp and firm, radiating absolute confidence.
"Climb onto its body and attack!"
"Now that its form is so massive, its agility definitely can't match before. Seize our advantage!
'With the Life Orb draining it, it won't last long!"'
Infernape grinned, its brows raised.
'Sure enough, Trainer also approves this tactic!'
Too bad the opponent had grabbed that red vest at the start, locking down Infernape's status moves, otherwise it would've already hit with Will-O-Wisp to burn it.
[Assault Vest: boosts Special Defense, but prevents the user from using status moves.]
But not being able to use Will-O-Wisp wasn't that big a deal.
As long as it kept spitting Embers, there was still a chance to inflict burn on Archaludon.
The next moment, Infernape scrambled up Gigantamax Archaludon's body with hands and feet.
At the same time, sparks burst from both its mouth and the flames atop its head.
A double-pronged assault.
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