Hitmonchan used Agility, its speed skyrocketing.
In the blink of an eye, it rushed to Miltank's side, fists glowing red as it unleashed a rapid flurry of punches.
But Yozora was already prepared."Mei, use Defense Curl to guard yourself!"
"Moo-moo!" Miltank obeyed, immediately tucking its body tight, transforming into a pink sphere that bolstered its defenses.
Bang! Bang! Bang!Dull thuds rang out as Hitmonchan's fists hammered into the curled-up Miltank, blow after blow launching the round sphere across the battlefield.
From the outside, it was impossible to tell how much damage Miltank had taken.
But Yozora, through the Power of Aura, could clearly "see" the truth. Miltank had taken some minor hits and its energy had dipped, but it was nothing serious—it could keep fighting.
With that assurance, Yozora shouted:"Use the momentum—Rollout!"
With a heavy thud, the pink sphere slammed against the icy floor and immediately began to spin at terrifying speed.
Thanks to its curled body and the slickness of the ice field, Miltank's Rollout was faster than ever before. In the span of a heartbeat, it barreled straight into Hitmonchan and sent it flying.
Crash!Hitmonchan hit the ground hard, completely unable to battle.
"Hitmonchan is unable to fight! Miltank is the winner!" The referee raised the red flag toward Miltank's side.
"Moo-moo!"Victories were rare for Miltank, so it couldn't contain its excitement—skidding, hopping, and running wildly across the icy stage. The host and the entire audience were stunned at the sheer vitality this Miltank radiated.
"Oh-ho! What an incredible Miltank! Contestant Yozora is truly a remarkable trainer! Everyone knows Miltank is usually a cow Pokémon best known for producing nutritious milk for both people and Pokémon. To be honest, I've seldom seen one this strong, this full of energy!" the announcer cried, voice booming across the stadium.
Outside the arena, Ash and Brock exchanged surprised looks."Yozora even managed to train a Miltank this powerful?" Ash gasped.
Since Yozora's advice last time, Ash had also caught a Miltank, leaving it to Brock for training.
And Brock, true to his reputation, had raised it well. From nothing, he nurtured it into a solid Senior-level Pokémon.
Still, it was common knowledge: ordinary Miltank lacked potential, battle strength, or even the will to fight. They were extremely difficult to raise for combat.
Brock had relied purely on his breeder's skill to cultivate it—further proof of his talent as a caretaker.
But even his Miltank had already reached a bottleneck. If it were to grow stronger, Brock would need years of daily care and attention.
Fortunately, a Senior-level Miltank's milk was already rich enough to help Ash's team greatly, easing their constant nutrition problems.
Which meant, in this world, Ash was already a step stronger than his anime counterpart at the same stage.
But of course—this world was harsher, tougher, and fused with many different realities.
So how far Ash could go in the upcoming Indigo League… was anyone's guess.
"Great job, Mei! Let's keep the winning streak going!" Yozora encouraged with a smile.
Normally, even if a Miltank had a spark of fighting spirit, its battle strength would still be quite mediocre.
But Mei was different.
With the Huge Power ability doubling its strength, and its Stamina-like endurance trait toughening it with every hit, Mei's defenses had grown monstrously resilient.
Although technically only at Senior peak, Mei had triggered its endurance ability several times in battle, pushing its true strength far beyond that tier.
"Hmph, a winning streak? Don't make me laugh. You really think one Miltank can keep it up?"
Lightning sneered as he sent out his second Pokémon."Go, Arcanine!"
A majestic Arcanine bounded onto the field, its aura radiating strength. Its level was astonishing—already Commander high-tier.
Clearly, Lightning was no ordinary opponent.
No surprise.
Even if he forfeited right now, he was still ranked within the Top 300 of this Indigo League. That wasn't at the very top, but it was by no means weak either.
Ordinary Senior-level trainers were usually wiped out in the first round. Only Silver-level and Gold-level trainers could expect to advance deeper.
From the looks of things, Lightning was at least Silver-class.
"The Fire-type Arcanine! Contestant Lightning's second Pokémon also has overwhelming dominance against Ice-types. Clearly, Lightning came well-prepared for this Ice Field!" the announcer said with approval, then added with a grin:"Too bad Miltank isn't an Ice-type, so Arcanine doesn't actually have the type advantage here!"
"Type advantage? I don't need it."
Lightning's eyes gleamed coldly."Arcanine, Flamethrower!"
Whoooosh!A torrent of blazing fire surged across the field, engulfing Miltank.
"Moo-mooooo!" Miltank cried out, staggering from the impact despite its attempt to dodge.
"Now—Take Down!"
At Lightning's command, Arcanine roared forward like a storm, slamming into Miltank with crushing force and sending it flying.
Miltank crashed heavily onto the ice. This time, it did not get up—it had lost the ability to battle.
Even with its boosted defenses, level differences were still absolute. Arcanine's power was simply too overwhelming.
The fact that Miltank had managed to endure two full hits before fainting was already an impressive feat. Any other Senior-peak Pokémon would have been one-shot instantly.
"Ohhh! What a powerful Arcanine! Miltank is down!" The host's voice rang with passion, stirring the crowd to fever pitch.
As a commentator, he held no bias—his job was to hype the match and amplify its excitement.
Ding~~~
The scoreboard shifted. One of Yozora's red lights went dark.
The match was tied: 1–1.
"As expected of a seasoned trainer," Yozora muttered, nodding slightly. "Much stronger than an ordinary rookie…"
He drew a Luxury Ball from his belt. Yes—a Luxury Ball.
It was worth noting: Yozora had switched his main lineup—Beedrill, Charizard, Golduck, Aegislash, Gengar, and Buzzwole—into Luxury Balls, each costing half a million Pokéyen.
To Yozora, they were not just his top fighters, but his true Ace Team.
Using Luxury Balls was his way of showing respect. Each one of them was extraordinary.
And above all—Beedrill, Charizard, and Buzzwole.
They were his true trump cards, standing far ahead of the rest.
(End of Chapter)