Aggron.
The Iron Armor Pokémon.
Known for its nearly unbreakable defense and devastating attack power—and thanks to all its dragon-like traits, it's learned a ton of Dragon-type signature moves. A typical Aggron stands between 2.1 and 2.5 meters, weighing 360–400 kilograms, but the Aggron facing Silas was more than double the norm. Its build now nearly rivaled Silas's own Dragonite!
Peak Champion-tier, huh…
Narrowing his eyes at the hulking Aggron, Silas could tell immediately that this beast wasn't raised by Conrad himself. There's no Aggron among Hoenn's guardian deities either, so its origin was already crystal clear.
While Silas pondered the Pokémon's background, Conrad was already shouting his attack: "Aggron! Metal Claw!"
'Aggron!'
With an earth-shaking roar, Aggron charged headlong at Dragonite, its metallic claws radiating a deadly golden light. Under the dazzling sheen, Aggron's features contorted, promising to tear Dragonite apart.
"Mega Punch!" As Aggron closed in, Silas fired back a command.
'Dragonite~'
Dragonite let out a low trill, and its pale yellow fist immediately blazed with white energy. As Aggron's razor claw swung down, Dragonite met it head-on with an explosive punch!
Metal Claw vs. Mega Punch!
If this had been any ordinary peak-Champion Pokémon, Dragonite's punch would've been an instant KO.
But Aggron wasn't just any peak-Champion. Like Tyranitar, it had mastered the power of Earth. Its defense was next-level to begin with, and with the power of Earth amped up, it was basically unbreakable. An unbreakable wall makes for an unstoppable force.
So even against Dragonite's Mega Punch, Aggron's Metal Claw didn't falter at all!
Monster!
Conrad couldn't help thinking that as the two Pokémon's attacks deadlocked mid-strike.
He'd already witnessed the insane strength of Silas's five other Pokémon—the ones besides Pikachu he didn't dare hope Aggron could beat. But he never expected Silas's sixth Pokémon to be just as monstrous: even up against Hoenn's top-tier Aggron, Dragonite didn't lose an inch!
While Conrad was realizing Dragonite was an outright monster, Silas's eyes flashed with nostalgia.
This clash reminded him of the day he used Tyranitar to capture Dragonite. The scenes were almost identical—back then, Dragonite barely managed to defeat Tyranitar after a grueling fight, burning through most of his energy and opening the path for Charizard, fresh into Legendary-tier, to swoop in for the finish.
Boom!
After their fist and claw clashed with neither breaking through, both Dragonite and Aggron took a step back.
"Whoa!" The commentator's voice snapped the stadium to attention, laced with excitement. "This is what real semifinals look like—Aggron against Dragonite! Can't wait to see what strategies Silas and Conrad bring next!"
The audience immediately responded with excitement and approval.
"Now that's a semifinals match! I want Silas to win, of course, but I'm sick of all these instant KOs. This is way more fun to watch!"
"Yeah, totally! I've been watching Silas's matches since the round of 256, and sure, he's strong, but those instant KOs—half the time he's done before everyone else even starts! I feel bad for my ticket money! Matches like this, with real back-and-forth, at least let us enjoy it for longer."
"Hahaha, well, as long as Silas wins in the end, I'm good!"
While the crowd debated, Conrad gave his next command: "Aggron! Double Team! Hyper Beam!"
'Aggron!'
Aggron instantly split into dozens of shadowy clones, circling Dragonite in a tight ring. Every one of them opened their metallic jaws and charged up black Hyper Beams—multiple beams blasted out together, each looking completely real; with so many, it was impossible to tell the difference or defend the real one!
As the whole crowd held their breath, Silas issued a low command: "Take to the skies."
'Dragonite~'
With a single flap, Dragonite soared skyward in an instant!
Boom!
Barely two seconds after he took off, all the Aggron doubles and their Hyper Beams vanished, save for one. The real, black Hyper Beam blasted right out of the arena, punching a hole straight through the spectator stands' wall!
Crap!
Seeing Dragonite take flight, Conrad's head throbbed. Aggron couldn't fly, and Dragonite was easily the fastest Pokémon in the world below Legendary status. There was no way Aggron could attack him now—he'd just have to take whatever was coming from above.
Just as Conrad feared, with Aggron's Hyper Beam dissipated, Silas gave another command: "Dragonite! Hyper Beam, rapid fire—from the air!"
Hyper Beam—rapid fire?!
Conrad's eyes flashed with confusion. He'd never heard of a move like that!
But the next second, his face changed completely. Dozens of black pillars of light began to rain down from the sky, one after another, relentless, as if they'd never stop, pounding Aggron furiously all across the battlefield.
Staring at the storm of Hyper Beams, Conrad's jaw dropped. Silas's Dragonite not only seemed immune to Hyper Beam's exhaustion, but could spam it continuously? Just how broken was his stamina?
But before panic could set in for long, Conrad gave another quick order: "Aggron! Use Harden, now!"
That move was a Trainer's last-ditch trump card—deadly in the right hands, but rarely used lightly.
Not because it was precious—because it was dangerous!
Everyone knew Hyper Beam's side-effects could leave a Pokémon motionless for two or three minutes after using it, more than enough to decide a match at any skill level.
So what happens when a Pokémon faces down dozens of simultaneous Hyper Beams?
You get pure chaos.
As Dragonite's Hyper Beams slammed down, the battlefield erupted into a constant chain of explosions. Every blast kicked up clouds of dust, and by the end you couldn't even see, let alone keep your eyes open—you do not want stadium dust in your eyes.
"Cough, cough…" The commentator's voice sounded faintly from the swirling dust, half-choking, half-yelling: "This… cough cough, is absolutely nuts. That many, cough, Hyper Beams in a row? Cough—has Silas's Dragonite completely ignored Hyper Beam's normal drawbacks?!"
As the commentator wheezed, the crowd cursed and coughed in reply.
"God—cough—damn, Hyper Beam rapid fire… cough, is this stadium about to get trashed like Stadium One?!"
Cough… "I dunno, but if round two is already this crazy, who knows if we'll even be safe by finals?"
"Screw this! Dumb League can't even protect us. If they fail us, who's paying taxes next year?!"
While the crowd groused and scrambled out of the way, the dust finally began to clear.
When it finally lifted, everyone inside the stadium—everyone except Silas and Conrad—was flat-out stunned. The once-smooth battlefield was now a cratered hellscape, torn to shreds by Hyper Beam barrages, with nothing left intact except the patch of ground beneath Aggron's feet. Everything else was obliterated.
'Aggron!'
As people came to, Aggron—who'd been sheltering himself with his arms all along—let out a furious howl.
His defense was monstrous, but not infinite. Even he couldn't shrug off that many Hyper Beams without picking up some decent bruises.
"Incredible defense," Silas muttered in admiration. "Any other Pokémon, and they'd be down for the count right now. Even if they didn't faint, they'd be in critical condition."
"Hmph!" Conrad wasn't pleased by the compliment; his face was stone. "Aggron may not be the world's best defender, but among non-Legendaries, he's top three for sure. There's no way you're taking him out easily!"
Top three?
Silas only smiled at that.
The world's too big; he doubted even his Tyranitar would claim a top-three defense spot, considering how many monsters hid in deep wilderness. But he couldn't be bothered to argue, so he just grinned. "Really. Mind if I give it another shot?"
"What do you—?"
"Dragonite! Hyper Beam rapid fire—full power!"
'Dragonite~'
Before Conrad could finish, Silas cut him off, and Dragonite let out another bright trill before summoning wave after wave of Hyper Beams. This time, though, the blasts weren't black, but purple!
Full power?!
Watching the purple Hyper Beams rain down, Conrad's heart filled with despair.
He remembered what his big bro Steven had once told him—if you want to know a Pokémon's true level, watch the color of its Hyper Beam. Deep purple: proper Legendary-tier. Purple: pseudo-Legendary, half-step to true kingship. Black: Champion.
Just before, Dragonite's Hyper Beam had only been black, so Conrad had pegged Dragonite as Champion-level, roughly Aggron's equal. If Dragonite kept firing from the air, Conrad figured he could stall things out with Harden, maybe win by attrition.
But facing a Legendary-tier move—for Conrad, it was game over.
He knew the difference that level made; after all, he had a Legendary-tier Pokémon of his own.
No matter how many Hardens Aggron stacked, you just couldn't outlast a Legendary-tier. A gap that big in both stamina and power is just insurmountable.
As Conrad despaired, the crowd was ready to riot.
"Are you kidding? Silas and his Dragonite are dead-set on wrecking this place, huh?!"
"Yeah! And from the sound of it, Silas wasn't even serious for the last volley. Now it's full power? Won't this stadium end up destroyed?!"
"Dude, is every one of Silas's Pokémon this insane? It's unreal!"
"Screw it, I'm outta here! If we stay, we might get hit next!"
As the audience debated and began to bolt, the full-power Hyper Beams rained down.
...
Indigo League Parliament House.
Speaker's Office.
Shingen Oak sat watching the match with a man whose face resembled Conrad's by eighty percent, sharing identical hair and eyes—but twice as mature, in aura and every other way.
"Legendary-tier?!" As the monitor flashed with purple Hyper Beams, the man blurted, then threw envious daggers at Shingen Oak. "Come on, Shingen, you lucked out—a Legendary-level Pokémon, in the hands of your own kid? You know how many of us envy that?"
"Hah!" Shingen Oak's face split into a cocky grin. "Of course! Did you forget who his father is? An Oak's son could never be a slouch!"
"Jackass," the man snorted, a sly grin creeping onto his own lips. "But don't get too comfortable. Even if my little bro loses to your son, throwing a wrench in things around here shouldn't be too hard."
"Go right ahead." Shingen Oak gave a genuine shrug, but then his eyes narrowed, and his voice dropped, cold and seething: "But I expect an explanation—why did you cave to those old farts? Letting your Pokémon get handed off to your little brother just to make trouble for my son? Some brother you are."
"I am! Always have been!" The man—Steven Stone—turned instantly serious. "You and I, Shingen, we're brothers for life."
Shingen Oak's lips curled into a frosty smile. "This is how you treat your brother?"
"My bad." Steven gave a pained laugh. "This was all about a favor owed from forty years ago. You know how impossible those debts are; my old man couldn't refuse even if he wanted. I'm here making peace as his stand-in, aren't I?"
"How are you going to make it up to me?" Shingen Oak's frosty face finally thawed a little.
"You name it," Steven said calmly. "If it's in my power, I'll handle it."
"Good," Shingen Oak responded instantly. "I want you to—"
...
Stadium Two!
The massive stadium was now completely empty; not a soul left in the stands. Even the commentator and referees had bolted under Dragonite's Hyper Beam onslaught—only Silas and Conrad remained. The entire battlefield was wrecked, reduced to a giant crater, with Aggron out cold at its center.
Was that… an instant KO?!
Staring at Aggron sprawled out, Conrad's mouth twitched.
He'd braced himself, but seeing this with his own eyes was still terrifying.
"Wanna keep going?" While Conrad stood stunned, Silas asked coolly, "The field's totaled, and you know your Pokémon can't beat my Dragonite. There's really no point in dragging this out, is there?"
"No, there isn't." Conrad nodded, subdued. He recalled Aggron, but then pulled out another Poké Ball, eyes serious. "But even so, I want one more round! If I lose this next one, we can call it there!"
"Let's do it." Silas nodded.
"Go!" Conrad hurled his Poké Ball and shouted with sudden energy, "Metagross!"
Boom!
'Metagross!'
A flash of white, and a blue, steel-bodied Pokémon appeared in the rubble. As soon as Metagross landed, it let out a defiant roar, eyes blazing with fighting spirit as it stared down Dragonite above.
Legendary-tier?!
Silas was startled—his files had only listed it as a guardian-deity-class, not true Legendary. Now he understood Conrad's insistence on this last round—it was a trump card, Metagross.
With Metagross out, Dragonite immediately landed in front of Silas, voice trembling with excitement: "Can I finally go all out?"
"Alright," Silas agreed, but warned, "Just try to keep the fight inside the stadium. If it spills into the crowd, we'll have a huge mess."
"Understood." Dragonite nodded.
While Silas and Dragonite consulted, Conrad was whispering with Metagross.
"Master Metagross," he asked, "can you win?"
"No way." Metagross shook its head—since its head was its whole body, it almost looked funny. After a pause, it rumbled, "There are four more powerful auras clustered around that human, and at least one of them is definitely stronger than me. The other three are just a hair weaker. No way I'm taking on five at once!"
Five Legendary-tiers?!
Metagross's words made Conrad's eyes go wide and fill him with a deep sense of futility. Dragonite alone was nearly impossible. Even if he managed a miracle, there were four more monsters waiting in the wings—how could anyone win?
"Don't lose heart." Noticing Conrad's dismay, Metagross reassured him, deep-voiced: "Just focus on this battle with me. Whatever happens next, leave it for later. Even if your future can't be as bright as that young trainer's, it'll still be better than most people's. If you can lead me well and we put on a great fight, I wouldn't mind choosing to follow your command from now on!"
"Really?!" Conrad's eyes lit up.
"Absolutely!"
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