"Too late," Zhang said, a flicker of mockery in his eyes as he watched the Garchomp take flight. If it had gone airborne the moment it was summoned instead of using Sandstorm, it might have had a chance. But now, it was too low, too slow. And the Great Izuchi was an excellent jumper.
"ROAR!" The Great Izuchi coiled its legs and sprang into the air. The Garchomp was only fifty meters up, an easy distance for it to cover.
Dragon Claw!
The Great Izuchi appeared above the Garchomp and kicked down. A white light flashed around its right foot talon. It was a Pokémon move it had learned after its transformation.
"Grawr!" Seeing it couldn't dodge, the Garchomp prepared to meet the attack head-on.
Dragon Claw!
It raised its own right claw to intercept the Great Izuchi's.
BOOM!
The two sharp claws collided, their power almost perfectly matched. The Garchomp was Level 49 and held a Dragon Fang, which boosted its Dragon-type moves by 20%. The Great Izuchi was only Level 40. However, its Razor Claw ability was incredibly potent, boosting the power of its claw attacks by 50%. This ability allowed it to match the Garchomp's power despite the nine-level difference. As for their base Attack stats, they were identical at 130.
KABOOM!
An explosion of energy sent the Garchomp hurtling back to the ground. The Great Izuchi was blown higher into the sky by the recoil.
"Roar!" Despite being airborne with no leverage, the Great Izuchi was completely calm. It opened its mouth.
Dragon Rage!
It spat a shockwave of energy at the Garchomp's left wing.
"Dragon Claw!" The groggy Garchomp quickly used its own move to slash at the incoming attack.
BOOM!
It managed to dissipate the shockwave, but the force of the impact accelerated its descent.
"This is bad. Garchomp fell into its trap," Cynthia thought, her brow furrowed. "That Pokémon, the Great Izuchi, has incredible combat experience, even better than Garchomp's."
CRASH!
The Garchomp hit the ground hard, the impact nearly knocking the wind out of it.
"Garchomp, use Protect!" Cynthia shouted. She had been calling out the order the moment she saw it fall, and her voice reached it just in time.
Hearing her, the Garchomp instinctively used the move, and a translucent barrier appeared before it.
"ROAR!" The Great Izuchi, descending from the sky, kicked at the barrier. If not for Cynthia's timely command, the kick would have connected.
CLANG! The Great Izuchi landed gracefully, its movements fluid. The moment its feet touched the ground, it attacked again, raising its right foot to stomp on the Garchomp. It was moving too fast. Equipped with the Float Stone, its speed was double its already impressive base.
CRUNCH!
Its hook claw plunged into the concrete floor right next to the Garchomp's head, cutting through it as easily as a knife through tofu. It had deliberately held back. If it hadn't, the Garchomp's head would have been severed.
"You've lost, Cynthia," Zhang said with a smile.
"Thank you for showing mercy, Zhang." She nodded, then recalled her Garchomp.
"ROAR!" The Great Izuchi raised its head and let out a triumphant roar, a sound filled with excitement and the dangerous scent of blood.
Such a dangerous Pokémon, Cynthia thought, staring at its blood-red eyes. Its temperament is nothing like a Pokémon raised by a trainer. It's more like one of those wild, battle-hardened alphas. It's just like the Garchomp alpha that attacked my hometown. The same wildness, the same ferocity. In fact, the Great Izuchi was even more intimidating. It was larger, with sharper claws and a more menacing presence.
"A pseudo-legendary lost... I can't believe it."
"That velociraptor-like Pokémon is so powerful. Could it be a pseudo-legendary too?"
"It's so fierce. Even standing this far away, I can feel a chill."
"The young people today are terrifying, already at the Gym Leader tier."
The crowd murmured in amazement, many of them taking out their phones to record the Great Izuchi.
"The winner is the Great Izuchi!" Bea announced.
Great Izuchi? she thought. I'll remember that name. A powerful foe. Master was right, the mainland is full of hidden masters. In any country, Gym Leader-tier trainers were the backbone of its strength. To see two so young was a testament to their incredible talent.
"A Gym Leader-tier pseudo-legendary and an unknown Pokémon... I'm so envious," a young trainer, a recent college graduate, muttered, clutching his own Poké Ball. After seven years of training, his six main Pokémon had only just reached the elite tier. He was leagues behind Zhang and Cynthia.
"Return, Great Izuchi." Zhang recalled his monster, then turned to Bea with a smile. "What's your name, miss? You seem to be a trainer as well."
"A pleasure to meet you. My name is Bea. I am from the Isle of Armor, a disciple of Master Mustard," she said, giving a respectful bow. "I am indeed a trainer, and I plan to challenge the Pewter Gym."
The Isle of Armor? Zhang's eyes lit up. I didn't expect Bea to be from the Daxia region's Isle of Armor, and a disciple of Mustard at that. It seems I can't view this world through the lens of the games. If Bea is here, then Mustard must be here too. If I get the chance, I should visit the Isle of Armor. I might be able to get a Kubfu.
He remembered that in the Sword and Shield games, Mustard would gift the player the legendary Pokémon. The chance to get a legendary for free was too good to pass up.
"My name is Zhang, and this is Cynthia. We're also planning to challenge the Pewter Gym," he introduced.
"You're challenging the Gym too? It must be fate. Let's go together," Bea suggested, her eyes bright.
"Sounds good to me. What about you, Cynthia?" he asked.
"I have no objection," she replied, shaking her head.