"Not attacking, Champion of Unova?" Logan spoke calmly as he stared straight at Alder and his Volcarona.
"You should know—we only have ten minutes."
"I was simply waiting for the Kanto Champion to make the first move," Alder replied with a courteous gesture.
His expression appeared relaxed, but his eyes never left Logan for even a second. There was no hint of carelessness in them.
"Hah. You were acting so confident earlier—yet now that you're on the field, you're suddenly this cautious?" Logan said with a faint smile.
"Well then, if you won't attack… I won't hold back."
Logan slowly raised one hand.
Alder's nerves tightened instantly.
How will he attack?
Will Garchomp rush in for close combat? Or probe first with long-range moves?
Every shred of Alder's focus locked onto Garchomp. His mind raced.
He had watched Logan's battles at the Indigo Plateau a year and a half ago. Back then, Garchomp's techniques were devastating, its endurance frightening—it looked like a Pokémon specialized in heavy skill-based offense.
But Alder didn't believe that anymore.
A year and a half had passed since Logan last fought publicly. Who knew how much he had improved? How terrifying his Garchomp had become?
Alder was already thirty, but his combat experience was immense. With just a glance at Garchomp's posture and physique, he could tell—it was nothing like before.
This Garchomp had undergone a fundamental transformation.
Its close-combat prowess had clearly advanced to an entirely different level.
In an instant, countless tactical plans formed in Alder's mind. If Garchomp charged in for melee, which Pokémon should he switch to as a counter? Volcarona was not built for close-range combat.
This match had no pre-registration of Pokémon.
The rule allowed only two Pokémon—but which two was entirely up to the Trainer.
It's coming!
Alder's hand moved toward his Poké Balls—
But Logan merely curled his finger.
"Sandstorm."
"Woooooo—"
A violent gale erupted as sand howled across the field like the cries of nocturnal beasts. In seconds, the entire arena was swallowed by a blinding sandstorm. Grit blasted against faces like needles, making it hard to even keep one's eyes open.
Yet Alder didn't flinch.
Weather control?
Is he planning to follow up with Dragonair? No—wait…
His heart skipped.
He understood Logan's intent instantly.
"Volcarona—Hurricane! Blow the storm away!"
The moment Alder issued the command, Volcarona beat its wings violently. A hurricane-force wind erupted, rivaling a Category Twelve storm, crashing head-on into Garchomp's sandstorm.
The result was immediate.
Against pure wind, sand could not prevail.
The storm was ripped apart, flung skyward in a massive vortex of swirling debris, and the battlefield cleared once more.
"Rock Tomb!"
Logan and Garchomp had already moved.
Using the sandstorm as cover, they had closed the distance.
From the sky, massive boulders crashed down—not toward Volcarona directly, but all around it.
Front. Back. Left. Right.
Every escape route sealed.
A death trap.
"Stone Edge!"
Logan pressed the advantage relentlessly, demonstrating textbook-level execution of the combat principles he had drilled into Iris earlier.
Once you gain momentum—never give the enemy time to breathe.
Dragons thrived in fast, brutal exchanges. Hesitation was death.
Jagged stone spikes erupted from the ground like blades, stabbing viciously toward Volcarona.
From the medical bay, Iris watched the battle with clenched fists, afraid to miss even a single movement.
"So you think type advantage alone can defeat me?" Alder roared.
"Then you've underestimated me, Kanto Champion!"
"String Shot!"
"What?"
Logan's eyes narrowed in surprise.
Volcarona suddenly began spinning rapidly, ejecting silk at incredible speed. The threads wrapped around its body, forming a dense cocoon in seconds.
The Stone Edge struck.
But the silk held.
Not a single spike pierced through.
"Unbelievable…"
Logan stared in genuine admiration.
Using what was considered a near-useless move, Alder had forged an absolute defense—one capable of blocking overwhelming physical attacks.
The training required to elevate such a move to this level was unimaginable.
"As expected of a Champion," Logan said sincerely. "Impressive."
"Trying to beat Volcarona with type advantage alone was foolish!" Alder snapped.
In battles between Champions, raw attributes meant nothing.
If type matchups alone decided victory, then strategy and growth would be meaningless.
True advantage only mattered when both Pokémon were on equal footing—and Volcarona had long trained against Rock-type attacks.
"And since you refused to close in earlier," Alder seized the opening,
"you'll never get the chance again!"
"Vanilluxe—Blizzard!"
Alder hurled his second Poké Ball.
A towering ice-type Pokémon resembling stacked ice cream cones emerged, unleashing a devastating Blizzard the moment it appeared.
The temperature plummeted.
Snow and ice engulfed the field.
"Hahaha!" Logan laughed loudly, stopping in place.
"So you're using type advantage too? Looks like you did your homework on me as well."
Alder's heart sank.
"But you'll be disappointed," Logan continued calmly.
"This Blizzard won't deal enough damage to threaten my Garchomp."
To Alder's disbelief—
Logan and Garchomp stood unmoving inside the storm.
Ice formed across Garchomp's body, but it grinned savagely, as if bathing in warm water rather than a killing blizzard.
"This ends now, Alder," Logan said coldly.
"Your Volcarona is formidable—even I wouldn't guarantee a one-hit victory. That's why I sealed it instead."
"But Vanilluxe?"
Logan's Champion cloak snapped violently in the frozen gale.
Only then did Alder notice it.
Logan was faring even better than Garchomp.
Before him stood a wall of light.
"Light Screen?! When did he—Dragonair? No… that's not—"
Alder's eyes widened.
Behind Logan stood a Pokémon he had never seen before.
Barely two meters tall.
A slender, feline tail.
Small compared to Garchomp—
Yet the chill crawling up Alder's spine told him the truth.
This creature held power beyond comprehension.
"Send our Champion of Unova off to rest," Logan said softly.
He smiled.
"Mewtwo—full power. Psychic Break."
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