"…"
An eerie silence fell over the field. In the end, Hikaru took the initiative and broke the oppressive mood:
"All right. You can forgive us—this is the last time. For you, this is an evolution battle, too!"
"Fight us like this, and keep getting angrier! Rage Fist keeps climbing as the battle goes on—and the more hits you take, the stronger it gets!"
Rika spread her hands helplessly. Listening to Hikaru, she seemed to fall into thought. Then, as if something clicked, she grinned.
She strode to her position with a kind of impatience, like she couldn't wait any longer.
"Grusha-san, mind officiating for us?"
Primeape was raring to go. Corviknight flapped its wings—and when it noticed Hikaru's eyes roaming over it, it shuddered in fear.
Uh… why did this human have that same look as a Tinkaton? It scared the life out of the crow.
Rika glanced at Corviknight, then pressed Hikaru with a question. "You interested in Corviknight or something?"
Hikaru's eyes lit up. "I just really like this kind of Pokémon. Corviknight and Skarmory feathers are rare, high-quality steel materials!"
Rika flicked her bangs aside. "Then how about this—however many feathers you knock off in this battle, you can keep them all."
"And looks like you're pretty interested in the three I just caught, too! Then let's battle right now!"
"New evolution discovered, new academic paper to write—nice. The Commander-in-Chief will be thrilled, won't he? Then you're writing that report yourself, got it?"
"Etch Primeape's fists into your memory."
The battle kicked off at once!
"Clang!"
Of course, the one who stepped up to meet Primeape was the Lord of Cinders, Charcadet!
For a hero, a formidable foe you've beaten once isn't something to fear. If you can do it once, you can do it again.
And so Gallade—originally the "main event," freshly caught and ready to show off—could only watch in speechless disbelief as Primeape went berserk on the field, trading blows with a hammer-swinging, flame-wreathed Charcadet for four full turns.
Hey, hey. Wasn't this supposed to be my dashing entrance? The elegant teamwork with my Trainer? The moment I take first blood in style?
Look at the Pokémon on the other side—there's one with a face weirdly similar to mine. It's practically a rival. But what is it? Another evolution form? A different branch? Or some other variant of Gardevoir?
While Gallade was still thinking, a scalding wave of heat snapped it out of its thoughts, and it jerked its arm up in alarm.
On the battlefield, Primeape threw its fifth Rage Fist. Counting everything from before, the total shot straight up to twenty.
And then—its body began to change.
Rika's eyes gleamed. "Now that we've got the move's mechanics and explanation, there's no reason not to use it!"
In a blaze of intense light, a furious surge—carrying the power to smash anything in its path—burst outward!
"Is that… Anger Point?" Grusha murmured as he watched. "First you let yourself take a critical hit to max out your Attack… then you push your rage to the limit and evolve like that… in that case…"
"Again!" Rika thrust her hand forward. "Rage Fist!"
Rage Fist had a base power of 50. In this battle, every time Primeape took a hit, the move gained an additional 50 power.
Earlier, Primeape had taken four attacks from Charcadet. That meant Rage Fist's power had already climbed to 250!
"Evolution light…" Rika's emotions peaked, too. Watching your partner evolve mid-battle was electrifying.
But Hikaru had already taken out his Tera Orb.
Normally, after a Pokémon Terastallizes, the stored Tera energy inside the orb is drained, leaving the Tera Orb unusable.
However, by touching crystals overflowing with Tera energy—or recharging at a Pokémon Center—the Tera Orb can be used again.
And in Paldea, those massive crystals bursting up from underground were practically everywhere.
The Tera power surged full again!
A brilliant chandelier of blazing crystal—Fire—erupted with dazzling light!
"A Fire Tera Charcadet… next, I'll show you a forbidden tactic!"
"Sunny Day!"
The sun blazed down once more, and Fire's power rose yet again!
That furious fist—wrapped in evolution light and backed by +6 maximum Attack—was already right in front of them!
And the little hero answered by unleashing every last spark in its body, pushing its fire power to the absolute limit!
A violent flash burst from Charcadet—
"Use Burn Up!"
It ignited itself completely, delivering overwhelming damage to its opponent!
And with Fire Tera, its Fire typing wouldn't vanish from Burn Up's recoil effect.
A ghostly rage-fist and a flaming charge crashed into each other—
Smoke billowed. Dust scattered.
And then—the hammer flew free.
The little hero was blasted backward, hit the ground with a heavy thud, its armor cracking into fragments. The flame on its plume flickered weakly, fading fast.
The fire was going out.
The hero's flame hadn't overcome the fists of a foe it had once defeated.
Rika lifted her chin, pride flashing across her face.
"It was risky. But the moment you said Primeape's new move gets stronger the more damage it takes, I already had the idea."
"Use Anger Point to deliberately expose a weak point… and then complete a brand-new evolution!"
She twirled her ponytail, clearly in a great mood.
"It's a one-time tactic, sure—but the results aren't bad, right?"
"Granted, I don't know what that move was—the one where it was wrapped in roaring flames. It looked like Flare Blitz but not quite. And I'd never even heard the name Burn Up before. But either way—even with Sunny Day and Fire Tera boosting it…"
"It still can't beat this strongest punch!"
Just as Rika expected, Primeape not only evolved, it washed away its humiliation and defeated the hero who had once beaten it!
All that road of buildup wasn't—
Mu… mu da?
Annihilape was roaring, swaggering in triumph—when its body abruptly stiffened.
From the fallen little hero, a haze of Ghost energy spread. A soul-snatching hand seized Annihilape's life force and tore it away in an instant.
Then the gray-furred, perpetually enraged Annihilape collapsed with a thunderous crash.
"Charcadet and Annihilape are both unable to battle."
Grusha flicked his hand. Rika realized what happened and immediately groaned in frustration. "Damn it—Destiny Bond?!"
"I got carried away…!"
Seriously—using a three-stage evolution to bully a one-stage Pokémon, finally crushing it… and still getting dragged down by Destiny Bond at the end. What a loss.
Rika quickly recalled Annihilape and whispered, "We were this close to a perfect win. It's not your fault. Your Trainer just didn't stay focused."
"Later, we'll bond properly, Annihilape! Should I learn a little jujutsu myself, too?"
"Now then… second one. Gallade—let's go!"
Gallade, who had been standing to the side for ages, watching Iron Valiant in deep contemplation, finally got its chance.
Now was the time to perform. Gallade told itself that.
It was supposed to be the hero of this fight—the knight of justice—yet the "monkey bro" stole the spotlight. As the leader among its three companions, it had to bring its A-game.
And sure enough—across from it was that Pokémon that looked so much like it… and also like Gardevoir.
Rika frowned. "I've been wondering since earlier… that Pokémon called Iron Valiant gives me a really weird feeling."
Hikaru smiled. "If I told you it came from the future, would you be surprised?"
"I know Gallade is called the Blade Pokémon. It's incredibly strict about etiquette. It can keenly sense emotions that are seeking help—and rushes to assist immediately…"
"And when it's protecting someone it recognizes, it extends its elbows, sharpening them into blade-like edges, and fights with fierce intensity."
"But compared to elbow blades…"
"Our elbows are the real thing—pure blades of light."
[Entering battle. Target: Gallade… the same Pokémon I have encountered before.]
[I am the strongest Psychic Pokémon. I am fused with your genes, so I will not disappoint my Trainer!]
[Show your light blades!]
"Galla…?"
Gallade suddenly felt a chill of fear. From Iron Valiant, it sensed an intense, overwhelming emotion.
The red organ on its chest began to pulse, flashing brighter and brighter.
As an evolution of Kirlia, it had that same red organ—like Gardevoir—as a means to sharply perceive an opponent's thoughts.
That desperate drive to win, to win for its Trainer, was unimaginably strong.
Then the steel girl raised both hands—and light blades ignited in her grip.
A duel of cuts?
Interesting.
That was what Gallade thought.
And Hikaru was thinking something else entirely.
The Gallade in front of him was a ninth-generation Gallade.
Just like how his Kubfu had benefited from a "not-yet-implemented" advantage…
This ninth-gen Gallade had a small but meaningful difference from Gallade elsewhere: its Abilities included one of the strongest traits of all—
Sharpness.
A Pokémon with Sharpness boosts the power of slicing moves by 50%!
Hikaru said, "Observe Gallade. Record its fighting style, then try to replicate and copy it."
"Maybe I can install a brand-new Sharpness Ability for you, too."
"You've already got plenty of methods for forging swords, right?"
"The five legendary swords: Chien-Pao's Ruin Sword 'Shengxie'; Zacian's Rusted Sword 'Sword in the Lake'; the strange sword of rebounding 'Yong'; Keldeo's Secret Sword after awakening; and the ancient divine sword used to hunt Pokémon!"
"Study how they're made, and maybe we'll build something interesting."
"Yeah. We'll have to forge these swords, one by one, slowly… until they're all done."
Sharpness… an Ability countless slicing Pokémon could only dream of. Only four Pokémon had it, and two of them were ancient Hisui Pokémon—impossible to find in the modern day!
Meaning that, setting aside that "Mr. Fish" who crashes around rivers like a rabid dog…
Gallade was the only land Pokémon that naturally had Sharpness!
"Gallade!"
"Iron Valiant!"
Both sides spoke at the same time:
"Use Swords Dance!"
Rika snapped, "After Swords Dance, we cut! Use Psycho Cut!"
Hikaru countered, "Our strongest Psychic Pokémon doesn't even have the Psychic type—and it's doubly weak to Psychic. Meanwhile, the enemy Psychic Pokémon is doubly weak to Fairy."
"After Swords Dance, use the trump card you learned earlier!"
"Scroll of Piercing… Magical Torque!"
"Hm. A Fairy charging blade… let's give it a nickname."
"Ex—calibur?!"
Fairy light detonated across the snowy mountainside!
A dense radiance gathered along the light blades—Fairy aura whipping up like a storm around Iron Valiant!
Item: Booster Energy!
Ability: Quark Drive!
[Attack increased by 30%!]
When holding Booster Energy or standing on Electric Terrain, the highest stat is boosted!
As a future-tech creation, Iron Valiant could freely choose whether to boost Attack, Special Attack, or Speed!
Its light blades looked like they'd been cast in gold, shimmering like gemstones set into the edge—so keen they could cut steel like paper.
A blade worthy of the name—
Steel-Cleaving Sword.
STAB 1.5×. Quark Drive 1.3×. Magical Torque's base power was 100.
Which meant—
This was a 195-power Sword of Promised Victory!
Gallade's Psycho Cut came down—
And was swallowed completely by pink Fairy brilliance, the Fairy gale turning into a storm and condensing onto Iron Valiant's blades!
Magical Torque was powerful, but its side effect conflicted with Misty Terrain.
So if Hikaru wanted a clean one-shot, he couldn't use the Fairy "Domain Expansion" technique.
That said—Misty Terrain was also the only Terrain move that didn't boost move power.
So if it was raw power he wanted, it was better to set Electric Terrain and trigger Quark Drive.
Among the few physical Fairy moves in existence, Magical Torque—unlearnable through normal channels—was the strongest of them all!
A bright slash-mark tore across Gallade's body. It stiffened, and the thoughts in its mind went blank.
One strike—Gallade was down!
A "noble knight," a so-called Blade Pokémon…
Defeated by another Fairy "Blade Pokémon."
Hikaru said, "In myths, fairies and knights are an endlessly beloved theme."
"They say there was once a Fairy-type Pokémon who, on the shimmering lakeside under a faint, drowsy glow, received a king's sword from the hand of a monarch."
"And with that slash… even the evil dragon wandering the dark universe could be shot down."
As the Fairy aura faded, Iron Valiant's pixel-like eyes seemed to be calculating something.
Hikaru received a new prompt.
[During the clash with Gallade's psychic swordplay, Iron Valiant performed calculations and learned a new cutting style.]
[From Gallade's "Spiral Slash" school of swordsmanship, it learned Solemn Sword! When facing Future Pokémon—or when allies on the team are also Future Pokémon—the move's base power increases by 100!]
They said Gallade fought with flexible elbow blades, a master of iaijutsu.
The blade extending from its elbow was sharper than famed swords. Its swordplay formed a school of its own—so refined it was awe-inspiring.
A style of its own.
And Iron Valiant, inheriting both Gallade's and Gardevoir's genes, naturally had its own sword school, too!
"Gallade… got beaten in one hit!" Rika's eyes widened.
She had been planning on a sure win with Gallade. It was strong—just a bit of training and guidance, and it would become a terrifying asset fast.
In Paldea, many wild Pokémon were shockingly powerful. Anything that survived in that environment was an elite among its kind.
But it still lost like this!
"Steel-Cleaving Sword, Magical Torque… what even is that move? But Fairy-type was discovered late—so having an unfamiliar trump card is normal."
"I see. So that thing is Fairy… it looks like Steel, but it isn't. Classic misdirection."
"Corviknight! Then you're the last one left. Show them the power of the sky's shield!"
Rika was frustrated, but this time she'd been beaten fair and square in a straight-up fight. She had nothing to say. The two "Blade Pokémon" were simply on different levels.
Fairy power overwhelmed Psychic power. That was all.
"Caw!"
Corviknight beat its wings and soared into the battlefield!
The legendary Galar vice-general Corviknight takes the field and speaks!
One of only three Steel/Flying types in the entire Pokédex—its dominance was undisputed! In terms of ecological niche, only Tinkaton had the "right" to talk—but in actual competitive battle, that hammer girl was still just a "little sister."
"CAW!"
And now the old Paldea Corviknight wanted to ask—what's the big deal?!
I resist Steel twice over. Your 160-power Gigaton Hammer looks scary, sure, but how much does it really do?
You're a Steel/Fairy Pokémon with a pathetic base 75 Attack. Who do you think you are, swaggering around like that?!
Didn't you say you wanted to rip out my feathers and forge hammers?
Let me tell you something.
Feathers? None.
My life? This life followed Calyrex—back in the Darkest Day, I've died more times than I can count!
Hikaru said, "Steel/Flying not only doesn't fear Fighting, it also has an absurd number of resistances. It's one of the best type combinations in the game."
The moment Rika heard that, her heart sank. She hurriedly blurted, "Hold on! This is a rematch, but you can't go through the whole battle without bringing out a Steel type!"
"Doesn't that make my team look like I built it for nothing?!" Rika ground her teeth. Of course, she hadn't brought a Ground type either… but what was she supposed to do?!
There was no Gliscor here!
Hikaru pulled out a Strange Ball with the words "Perfectly Ripe Mango" written on it.
"If that's the case, I'll send out a Steel-type Pokémon you've never seen. Conveniently, I've got a Pokémon with the same typing."
"Kaguya, let's battle again—like old times!"
[O-okay! Pokémon battle, Pokémon battle—I'm familiar with it now! But it's still kind of scary!]
A truly colossal body slammed down onto the battlefield. Even under the night sky, it cast an enormous shadow. Corviknight, still in the air, stared with its eyes practically bulging out.
Wait. What is that?
Is that a mountain?!
Rika went pale. "Hey! What is that—why is it so huge?! Is it a building? A rocket?!"
Grusha looked stunned. "…A Pokémon even bigger than Cetitan?"
Hikaru's Celesteela was actually a stunted individual. It was timid, could eat, but didn't dare digest—basically the "little loner" of the Pokémon world.
Even so, it still stood over six meters tall.
It really was… that big.
Corviknight's average height was 2.2 meters. In front of Celesteela, it looked like an underdeveloped child.
Hikaru mused, "So the question is… what's Corviknight's weight?"
Rika had a bad feeling. "Uh… average weight is about 75 kilograms?"
Hikaru nodded, eyes sharpening.
"My Kaguya-ojou-sama is 999 kilograms—a heavyweight beauty with no upper limit!"
"Kaguya, let's do this!"
"Use Heavy Slam!"
A steel-charged collision roared down from above. Celesteela swung its launcher forward and charged—its whole body surging in behind the impact!
[S-sorry!]
And with that single hit, it smashed the large Corviknight straight into a crash landing.
The ground on the western side of Glaseado Mountain caved into a massive crater. Rika stared for a long moment before she finally snapped back to herself, clapping a hand to her forehead and gaping at the "Steel Lady" in front of her.
"What the hell?!"
"That giant thing… you're telling me… that's a Pokémon?!"
(End of Chapter)
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