Any Trainer worth their salt knew the legends.
If you played the games, you knew him as the silent protagonist on Mt. Silver.
The one with the level 80 Pikachu and a team of overpowered monsters waiting in the hail.
If you followed the anime lore, he was the prodigy with the Mega Charizard X, the one who defeated and captured Mewtwo.
Red. The Living Legend.
Sam looked at the Trainer standing opposite him.
The boy's eyes were burning with fire, a silent invitation to battle.
A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of Sam's mouth.
"Let's Battle."
Red nodded sharply, shedding his earlier restraint.
"Let's go."
They moved to the backyard training field. The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Sam and Red took their positions.
On the sidelines, the spectators were buzzing.
Ash clenched his fists, eyes wide and unblinking, desperate to absorb every detail of this high-level clash.
Brock squinted, his expression turning serious; as a former Gym Leader, he understood just how rare and precious a battle of this caliber was.
Even Dawn, who usually preferred Contests, held Piplup tight, her eyes glued to the field.
Cynthia stepped into the center, raising a hand as the referee.
"The format is a four-on-four duel," she announced, her voice authoritative.
"The match ends when all four Pokémon on one side are unable to battle."
Since Sam only had four Pokémon on hand at the moment, Red had agreed to limit his team to match.
"Begin!"
Cynthia retreated to the sidelines.
In perfect sync, Sam and Red unclipped their Poké Balls and threw them into the air.
"Luca, stand by!"
"Go, Tyranitar!"
Two bursts of white light materialized on the field.
Sam's Lucario landed gracefully, his blue fur rippling with Aura.
Opposite him landed a monster of armor and spikes.
Tyranitar slammed onto the ground, letting out a roar that shook the trees.
Roaaar!
Instantly, data flashed through Sam's mind.
[Pokémon: Tyranitar]
[Type: Rock/Dark]
[Level: 69 (Champion Peak)]
[Ability: Sand Stream]
[Potential: Champion Peak]
A Champion-level Tyranitar, Sam thought, analyzing the beast.
Known as the Desert Tyrant. It has the power to change landscapes and bury mountains.
And that ability... Sand Stream.
"Tyranitar..." Sam narrowed his eyes.
"Fighting and Steel types are his weakness. But Red knows that."
He looked at Red. The Kanto Champion was studying Lucario with intense focus.
He wasn't intimidated by the type disadvantage; if anything, the oppressive pressure radiating from Lucario seemed to make Red excited.
"Tyranitar!" Red commanded, his voice cutting through the wind.
"Earthquake!"
Red didn't bother with probing attacks or tricks.
He knew Tyranitar was a heavyweight, a walking disaster.
Against a flexible fighter like Lucario, raw, unavoidable power was the best option.
"Graaaah!"
Tyranitar roared, lifting a massive foot and slamming it into the earth.
BOOM!
The ground groaned. Like Groudon invoking the wrath of the land, Tyranitar sent shockwaves ripping through the stadium.
The battlefield cracked open, fissures racing toward Lucario, spilling overflowing terrestrial energy.
It was a devastating opening move. An Earthquake of this magnitude would deal catastrophic damage if it connected.
But Sam didn't panic. His expression remained cool.
"Luca," Sam said calmly.
"Use Aura. Move."
"Rah!"
Lucario didn't try to run.
Instead, blue energy surged around his body.
He concentrated the Aura at the soles of his feet, creating a tangible platform of energy.
With a sharp push, Lucario kicked off the empty air.
Whoosh.
He rose straight up, hovering several meters above the ground.
Below him, the earth shattered, and the shockwaves tore the terrain apart, but Lucario floated silently above the destruction, completely untouched.
"What?!"
On the sidelines, the spectators gasped.
"Is that even allowed?!" Ash shouted, grabbing his hat.
"Lucario is... flying?!"
"That's outrageous!" Brock adjusted his glasses, stunned.
"A Fighting and Steel type shouldn't be able to levitate!"
"He's flying without wings..." Dawn whispered in awe.
Even Red's stoic mask cracked. His eyes widened slightly in genuine surprise.
He had expected Sam to counter with a move like Bone Rush to vault over the shockwave, or perhaps Protect.
He hadn't expected him to simply... float.
Sam smiled.
Back in Viridian Forest, Lucario had mastered the manipulation of Aura to move on air.
To the rest of the world, it was impossible. To Sam, it was Tuesday.
Watching Red's surprised expression, Cynthia stood on the sidelines, trying to hide a smirk.
A dark satisfaction bubbled in her chest.
She remembered how her Garchomp had been confused by Sam's unorthodox tactics during their spars.
So what if you're the strongest Champion?
Cynthia thought, watching Red scramble to adjust.
Everyone looks like a beginner the first time they fight Sam.
----------
Want to read ahead.
You know where
patreon.com/ PikaTL (Remove the spaces)