"Urshifu, I choose you!"
The Pokémon Mustard sent out was a humanoid brown bear standing roughly two meters tall, with a massive, powerful frame.
Its body was covered in black, white, and gray fur, and its arms were already bent into a poised fighting stance.
Grey got a clear look at Urshifu's face. The white fur on its head looked almost like a headband, tied at the top and hanging down on both sides.
[Pokémon: Urshifu, Rapid Strike Style]
[Type: Fighting/Water]
[Level: 77]
[Ability: Unseen Fist]
[Move: Surging Strikes]
Rapid Strike Style Urshifu.
It had a Water typing, which was obviously at a disadvantage against Zekrom.
"And there it is, Senior Mustard's Urshifu! Judging from its appearance, this looks like a Rapid Strike Style Urshifu! Younger trainers may not know what kind of Pokémon Urshifu is, but half a century ago, Senior Mustard's Urshifu was one of the best in the entire world!"
Commentator Slowking had covered so many matches over the years that he also liked posting commentary clips from older battles online, which was why he knew Mustard so well.
Among all the Pokémon Mustard had used, Urshifu had left the deepest impression on him.
It had even gone toe to toe with Professor Oak's Dragonite and Alder's Volcarona.
[Urshifu? It doesn't look that different from Ursaring.]
[That's just lazy slander. Ursaring is brown. Urshifu is black, white, and gray.]
[They're both bears, though. Are they about the same strength?]
[Beartic would like a word.]
Rapid Strike Style Urshifu looked restrained and composed, the entire bear flowing like water itself.
Zekrom raised a brow. The immense aura radiating from Urshifu, standing not far in front of it, forced it to take the opponent more seriously.
If people used the fan-made power ranking tiers floating around online, Urshifu would count as a second-tier legendary.
But this particular second-tier legendary made Zekrom feel that if the two were at equal strength, there was actually a chance it could lose.
And right now, it was already operating at about 1.4 Kyurems, basically the same level as Reshiram in its current state.
Even so, this Urshifu still felt extremely troublesome.
"Zekrom, what is it?"
N noticed that something was off and asked softly.
"It's nothing. I'm just a little surprised by that Urshifu in front of me."
Zekrom shook its head. It was only giving the opponent more credit, nothing more.
Its own power was not something an ordinary top-tier legendary could compare to, and Urshifu was still only a second-tier legendary that had not reached the level of a battle legend.
On top of that, Urshifu also carried a Water typing, which was completely at Zekrom's mercy.
The winner of this battle could only be it.
"The semifinal match begins now!"
"Zekrom, I want to see how good my command is right now. So lower your power to the same level as Urshifu. That shouldn't be difficult for you."
N's voice grew calm and measured.
After hearing that, Zekrom could not help mentally putting a question mark over N's head.
"N... are you okay today?"
Zekrom looked stunned, though because N was still its Hero of Ideals, it did not lose its temper.
"I'm fine. I just want to see where the gap is between me and a Champion when both sides are at the same level. If you want a full-power battle, I think the next match should be enough for you."
N's gaze settled on Mustard. The man was a battle-hardened Champion-level trainer, while N himself had only been a trainer for a few months at most.
Even with Zekrom helping him, N could not confidently say he would win if both sides were fighting at a similar level.
So he could only test it first.
"All right. If that's what you want, then I have no choice but to follow your lead."
Zekrom sighed inwardly. But this was N's wish, and as the Dragon of Ideals that followed the Hero of Ideals, all it could do was obey.
"Looks like you two are done talking."
Mustard stroked his beard and did not try anything cheap.
Only after N and Zekrom finished speaking did he calmly issue his command.
"Aqua Jet!"
Urshifu wrapped itself in rushing water and burst forward, almost skimming along the ground.
It moved as fast as an arrow loosed from a bow.
"Zekrom, Fusion Bolt!"
N chose to have Zekrom meet it head-on.
Crackle!
Golden lightning crossed between Zekrom's claws, and a cross-shaped current burst out in an instant.
Urshifu was already closing the distance, the sound of rushing water filling the air.
Just as Zekrom swung its arm, ready to land Fusion Bolt cleanly on Urshifu...
Whoosh!
Urshifu suddenly kicked off Zekrom's arm first, using the recoil to leap high into the air, and then...
"Brick Break!"
The water surrounding Urshifu scattered away. Brown Fighting-type light gathered around its arm, and it came crashing down toward Zekrom below.
Boom!
Zekrom's head took a solid hit, drawing out a low grunt of pain.
It instantly swung one arm upward and smashed a fist toward its own head, violent lightning exploding everywhere as it tried to knock Urshifu out with a single blow.
Unfortunately, Urshifu slipped past the attack as smoothly as flowing water, then turned into a sharp stream and landed back on the ground.
Commentator Slowking clearly sensed a great highlight moment and jumped in the instant Urshifu landed.
"Oh, Zekrom just unleashed an entire sequence of attacks and still couldn't touch Urshifu at all! To be able to use Aqua Jet so masterfully, it seems that even after retirement, Senior Mustard hasn't neglected battle training all these years."
Galar was a region that worshipped battling. Trainers of every age battled there.
Calling it a region of全民 trainers would not have been much of an exaggeration.
And Mustard, as a Fighting-type trainer, trained himself constantly while also practicing with his Pokémon every single day.
That was why he could pull off that whole sequence just now.
[As expected, the older generation really is something else. Mustard's sequence there is the kind of thing plenty of trainers could spend their whole lives trying to learn.]
[Still, isn't N's command ability kind of bad? Both sides are Champion-level, but it felt like Zekrom just got toyed with by Urshifu.]
[The result still isn't decided yet, so let's keep watching.]
Watching Urshifu toy with Zekrom just now made a lot of people feel like a top-tier legendary might not be such a big deal after all.
Of course, even more people were simply in awe of a veteran like Mustard.
In terms of raw power, one side had the clear advantage.
But in terms of command ability, the other side had the clear advantage.
Round it off a little, and it almost balanced out.
"Young man, you're fighting too impatiently."
Mustard stroked his beard and looked at N and Zekrom before extending the offer again.
"The fact that Zekrom recognized you means you absolutely have talent. But at your age, your command ability is still as immature as a child's. Looks like you just never had a great teacher."
"Still, it's not too late to learn. If you're willing, you can come to my dojo after this."
Mustard tossed out the olive branch again. Worried about being rejected a second time, he added, "The current Champion of Galar, the man known as the Unbeaten Champion, Leon, is my student."
"His ace Charizard has already reached that realm, and in terms of command, he inherited my teachings well."
N only shook his head after hearing that. "No, thank you for your kindness. Compared to staying in one place to study, I'd rather keep traveling."
Ghetsis had kept him trapped for so long that all N wanted now was to go out and see the world.
And if he could free Unova while traveling, that would be even better.
"All right then. Everyone has their own path, and I won't force you."
Mustard let out a small sigh, then suddenly barked out another command.
"Urshifu, Surging Strikes!"
Surging Strikes was Rapid Strike Style Urshifu's signature move.
It could hit multiple times and always landed critical hits, making it an extremely frightening attack.
As long as the target did not have an Ability like Battle Armor or something like Lucky Chant active, it would always land critical hits.
You could call it a terrifying move.
That was the fearsome power of a high-born DLC legendary.
"Urgh!"
Urshifu surged forward in a burst. Dense bubbles exploded upward as one heavy punch slammed into Zekrom's knee.
Water sprayed everywhere, and Zekrom's leg bent slightly, clearly affected.
Just as Zekrom tried to raise an arm and retaliate, Urshifu seized the chance and struck several more times in rapid succession, each blow sending water exploding outward and blocking the view of many spectators outside the field.
Critical hits, three in a row!
"Zekrom, Thunderbolt."
This time, N did not let Zekrom go for close combat and instead chose Thunderbolt as a long-range attack.
Golden lightning spread all over Zekrom's body, then blasted toward Urshifu.
"Detect."
Mustard already had an answer prepared for a move like this.
Detect was exactly that answer.
Urshifu did not move at all, its gaze sharp and steady.
Then, just as Thunderbolt was about to hit, it twisted to the side and avoided the strike.
Boom!
Thunderbolt crashed into the ground and blasted out a massive crater, showing just how terrifying its power was.
"N's offensive rhythm is being completely controlled by Senior Mustard. This battle may not be as simple as it looked. Even if Zekrom went all out, it still wouldn't be able to end things quickly."
Watching from outside the field, Grey gave his opinion.
Just as Mustard had said, N's style of attack was far too immature.
All he knew was offense after offense, with no technique at all.
"Grey, what level of trainer do you think N's command ability compares to?"
Caitlin turned and asked Grey about N.
Come to think of it, even though less than a day had passed, Caitlin somehow felt like she had not seen Grey in forever.
Grey answered without even needing to think. "Probably about the same as Ash right now."
N only knew how to attack.
If close-range combat was bad, he switched to ranged attacks.
But the problem was never just attacking.
The problem was that Zekrom was being led around by Urshifu from start to finish.
Zekrom was extremely strong, sure, but if it could not land its attacks, none of that mattered.
Grey was not trying to brag, but if tomorrow's match really came down to him facing N, N would probably be pressed down in just a few turns.
If N did not make some changes soon, then even if he won, it would only happen because Urshifu's stamina had been worn away.
"I told you, he's just an idealist with his head in the clouds, always thinking about unrealistic things. Only Zekrom would take a liking to him."
Reshiram was openly disdainful.
Getting paired with a trainer like that meant Zekrom had both gotten lucky and landed in terrible luck at the same time.
Grey shook his head. "N's problem is that he just never had proper guidance. If he'd grown up with good guidance, his command ability would probably be around the same level as mine."
N definitely had talent.
The problem was that Ghetsis had ruined and buried it.
Such a good trainer prospect, and that old bastard Ghetsis had still managed to ruin him.
Caitlin covered her mouth with one hand, unable to hide her surprise. "Wow, Grey, you really think that highly of him?"
"Not exactly. N's situation is complicated, but if Zekrom recognized him, then his talent can't possibly be bad. If it weren't for Team Plasma, N would probably be a normal trainer by now."
Grey's eyes stayed on the battlefield.
He had not ended his stream, letting everyone keep watching the match.
That little exchange had also gone out live to all the viewers.
[Team Plasma! Why is it that damn rotten organization again?!]
[Exactly! They go around talking about liberating Pokémon while doing all kinds of horrible things behind the scenes!]
A lot of people in the stream had suffered because of Team Plasma, and Grey's words just now were like a lit fuse.
The moment trainers from Unova heard that, they wanted to blow up Team Plasma on the spot.
But Team Plasma had already gone into hiding, and hardly anyone knew where they were.
That left a lot of people with nowhere to vent their anger, even if they wanted to take it out on Team Plasma members.
[Forget it, let's just keep watching. This is still Zekrom. Sure, the trainer's command ability isn't that great, but it's still a top-tier legendary. You don't get chances like this often, so we should enjoy it properly.]
[True.]
[Agreed.]
After that was said, everyone echoed along.
The battle continued.
"Young man, battling isn't just about attacking over and over."
Mustard remained calm, almost as if he were teaching a junior rather than fighting a battle.
"Didn't you notice how I was commanding just now? And aren't you close with Grey? Even if you didn't catch my command patterns, you should know how he usually battles, right?"
"Grey's battles?"
N immediately fell into thought.
It seemed like Grey really liked using moves like Spore or Swords Dance in battle.
Those were not offensive moves, but they could effectively disrupt the opponent or improve his own advantage.
That was true, he really had only ever attacked.
He had never seriously thought about status or setup moves.
But...
What kind of non-attacking moves did Zekrom even have?
N did not know many of Zekrom's moves. The ones he liked using were usually just Fusion Bolt and Bolt Strike.
"I can use Dragon Dance."
Zekrom was overjoyed. N was finally thinking about setting up buffs!
This was historic progress. The instant it realized what was happening, Zekrom immediately blurted out Dragon Dance.
As long as it used Dragon Dance once, its strength would climb to an even higher level.
"Good! Zekrom, use Dragon Dance!"
The moment those words left N's mouth, thunder and lightning rolled across the sky.
Everyone stared in confusion.
Since when did Dragon Dance have special effects like that?
The truth was simple, Zekrom was just so happy that this was the result.
Amid deafening thunder, Zekrom spread its wings and rose into the sky. As it danced, it released the terrifying aura unique to a top-tier legendary, pressing down so hard that Urshifu below could barely breathe.
Its strength might have been lowered to Urshifu's level.
But once Dragon Dance came into play, things became completely different.
This was total domination.
Not just in power, but in speed too, it was now far beyond anything Urshifu could compare to.
"I have never felt so refreshed in my life. Right now, I am a full 2.1 Kyurems strong!"
Zekrom was completely swelling with confidence now, fearless and arrogant, convinced it stood above everything.
So what if it was Reshiram?
Reshiram was mainly a special attacker. Even if it used Dragon Dance, there was no way it would be Zekrom's match.
Round that off a little, and Zekrom was basically the strongest of the Tao Trio.
Thinking that, Zekrom let out a cold snort.
Dragon Dance ended, and its Attack and Speed rose sharply.
Now it was unbeatable. Even Urshifu in front of it was something it could defeat in a single blow.
"Zekrom, Bolt Strike!"
N chose to have Zekrom go all out.
"Hahaha, good!"
Zekrom's voice rang directly in everyone's minds.
Dark clouds rolled across the sky, and thunder roared.
In the blink of an eye, a brilliant azure bolt had already formed in Zekrom's claws.
Urshifu sucked in a breath. "This black dragon's attack power has gotten even stronger. It's already beyond what I can withstand..."
The moment it saw Zekrom disappear from sight, it wanted to dodge.
But it was already too late.
Boom!
The explosive roar shook everyone's ears.
The azure lightning crashed squarely into Urshifu's abdomen.
Then, with only a slight exertion of force, Zekrom sent Urshifu flying.
Compared to Reshiram, Zekrom's moves were not flashy at all. They were brutally direct.
It only took one claw strike to send Urshifu reeling so badly it could barely tell where it was.
This was Rapid Strike Style Urshifu, and the damage from that Bolt Strike was enough to defeat it in a single hit.
Urshifu hit the ground and dropped to one knee, still trying to force itself back up.
[No way, did Urshifu just activate some kind of endure cheat?]
[Insane, this is what an old powerhouse looks like, absolutely terrifying.]
[Being able to tank one Dragon Dance-boosted hit from Zekrom is something that Urshifu can brag about for the rest of its life.]
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