[It's so over already!]
The Trainers of Unova no longer even wanted to complain.
Grey alone had basically packed up all of their local Mythical Pokémon and taken them away, and even Reshiram, a first-tier Legendary, had been caught by him.
So that raised a question, how many Legendary Pokémon did Unova still have left for its local Trainers?
Very few.
Those four words were the only way to describe it.
"Grey, I've been waiting for this day for a long time. I just never expected that we would stand on the same stage in a battle like this."
N's long green hair rolled like waves in the sudden gale. He slowly spread his arms, his cloak snapping loudly in the wind.
His dim eyes looked straight through the flying strands of hair at Grey ahead of him.
The moment he finished speaking, a vast bank of dark clouds gathered at a speed that defied nature itself, as though the entire sky were lowering a heavy curtain for this duel.
"Before the real main event starts, let's warm up first."
Grey reached to his waist, weighed the first Poké Ball hanging there in his hand a few times, then smiled at N.
"Fine."
N nodded in agreement.
"Then the match officially begins!"
The referee's flag dropped.
Huge portraits of Grey and N appeared on the screen.
Beneath each portrait were three Poké Ball icons, representing the number of Pokémon each side was allowed to use in this battle.
"So we can use three Pokémon..."
Grey narrowed his eyes slightly. At the moment, only two Pokémon on his team clearly had guaranteed Champion-level strength and could be reliably used by him, Annihilape and Reshiram.
As for N's side, he had no idea which Pokémon besides Zoroark and Zekrom were at the Champion level.
That said, he still had one more option on his own team, Genesect.
The problem was that because of Genesect's special circumstances, Grey still did not have a good way to command it.
It seemed to enjoy hanging around the dojo like some kind of metal serving plate, only showing up at mealtime.
He had already decided which Pokémon he wanted to use for this match.
Now it just depended on what N was planning.
"Answer my call, my partner!"
N placed both hands on the planetary pendant on his chest, his eyes glowing with a teal-green light.
Whoosh.
A violent wind swept across the battlefield without warning, whipping countless grains of sand into a golden-brown curtain.
Those swirling particles formed a miniature galaxy around the pendant, each grain reflecting the glow in N's eyes.
At that moment, even the smallest pebble became a deadly bullet, accelerated to firearm-like speed within Zekrom's electric field.
"This is...?"
Grey had not even thrown his Poké Ball yet when he felt a terrifying aura arriving.
A figure flickered in and out among the flying sand and stones. It looked like a Pokémon.
Grey narrowed his eyes, and the system panel appeared before him.
[Pokémon: Landorus (Incarnate Forme)]
[Type: Ground, Flying]
[Level: 70]
[Ability: Sand Force]
[Moves: Sandsear Storm, others omitted.]
As the sandstorm cleared, a mighty-looking brownish-yellow Pokémon floated high in the air.
Its arms were folded across its chest, a long mustache hung above its lips, and its face carried an imposing air.
Landorus!
A Legendary Pokémon of the Unova region!
The leader of Tornadus and Thundurus!
The three of them were collectively known as the Forces of Nature!
"Oh, what a surprise! N's newly sent-out Pokémon is Landorus! This is a Legendary Pokémon of immense power, definitely not something to underestimate!"
Now that he had clearly seen the Pokémon inside, Commentator Slowking sounded more excited than ever.
Next, it would depend on what kind of Pokémon Grey would send out to respond.
Landorus was Ground and Flying type. If Grey sent out Annihilape, the Flying typing would give Landorus the advantage.
[Guys, I seriously can't take this anymore. I'm a Trainer from Unova. Why have so many of Unova's Legendary Pokémon been caught?!]
[I'm dying here. What wild Legendary Pokémon does Unova even still have left?]
[Hard to say. At this rate, I'm afraid all of Unova's Legendary Pokémon have already been caught.]
"Landorus, huh... If I sent out Articuno, I'd definitely have a type advantage."
Grey stroked his chin, considering the current situation.
Champion level was not something that came easily. Articuno was still a few steps away from reaching that tier.
Hmm...
Should he just send out Reshiram and crush this fight outright?
"Human, I want to battle."
A voice from an unfamiliar Pokémon suddenly echoed in Grey's mind.
"Hm? You're... Genesect? You can use telepathy? Why didn't you say anything before?"
Grey reacted at once. Genesect was stuffing those words straight into his head.
There was really no one else who would do something like that.
"It is me. Before, I did not want to battle, and I did not want to speak. But after these past days, I know you are not like that human scientist. That is why I am willing to speak to you today."
"Human, if you let me battle today, I will listen to you from now on."
Genesect's Poké Ball shook a few times.
"Alright."
Grey agreed immediately, then added, "I don't need you to be that obedient. At the very least, when I look for you, it'd be enough if you answer me."
When it came to Genesect, Grey wanted to take the approach of guiding it patiently.
This was a Pokémon created by Team Plasma. Who knew what strange data they might have shoved into it.
"Mm."
The Poké Ball shook once more.
Grey put Annihilape's Poké Ball back, then took up Genesect's and hurled it onto the field.
Bang!
A bug Pokémon clad from head to toe in crimson steel armor landed solidly on the ground.
The high-tech cannon on its back immediately drew the attention of countless Trainers.
[Huh? What kind of Pokémon is that? Why does it have such a huge cannon on its back?]
[That's so cool. It kind of reminds me of Blastoise's cannons from the Kanto starters.]
[You know what, it really does. But what region is that Pokémon from? Why have none of us seen it before?]
[Any Unova people here? Is that armored bug Pokémon from your region some kind of Mythical Pokémon?]
[Never seen it. Probably not. All the Mythical Pokémon in Unova are adorable. That bug is huge, and the whole style feels way off.]
Genesect stood about the height of a person, and with that massive high-tech cannon on its back, it looked incredibly imposing.
That image clashed completely with the cute style people usually associated with Unova's Mythical Pokémon.
The truth was that Genesect really was a Mythical Pokémon from Unova, it had just been man-made.
"Hm? That Pokémon?!"
Other people could not recognize it, but N was different. This Genesect had come straight out of Team Plasma.
If he remembered correctly, it had previously been taken by Colress to the Kanto region.
That reminded him, Genesect had been caught and confiscated before, so in a way there was nothing strange about it winding up in Grey's hands.
Still, N had never expected Genesect to now be with Grey.
But just thinking about battling a Genesect was enough to make him excited.
"Grey, let me see whether the bond between you and Genesect is the kind of bond I want to witness!"
N raised his arm and opened with an aggressive move as always.
"Landorus, Stone Edge!"
"Lando!"
Landorus thrust both arms forward violently, sending countless sharp stone lances shooting through the air like a torrential storm!
"Gene." (Human, issue an order already. I know you can command me. Or do I need to teach you even this?)
Genesect urged Grey on.
The instant it finished speaking, a red glow flashed over its body, boosting its Special Attack.
Ability: Download.
It compared its opponent's Defense and Special Defense, then raised the corresponding attacking stat based on whichever of those two was lower.
In other words, Landorus's weak point was its Special Defense, so Genesect's Special Attack had increased.
At the moment, that suited it perfectly.
"Alright, alright, you're even more impatient than Annihilape."
Grey waved his hand. He had simply been waiting for the right moment.
When Stone Edge had already crossed halfway and closed to less than fifty meters from Genesect, Grey finally spoke.
"Genesect, Psychic!"
Genesect understood at once, and blue light surged in its eyes.
A psychic field spread out in rippling waves.
The sharp rock lances filling the sky suddenly froze in midair, trembling slightly as they hung there.
Then Genesect's psychic power erupted all at once!
Every suspended rock lance spun around in unison and shot back toward Landorus with piercing screams through the air!
Landorus's pupils contracted sharply. Before it could even react, the rain of stone lances was already upon it!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The jagged rocks slammed into its body one after another with heavy thuds.
It staggered backward several steps, sand swirling around it. Clearly, it had never expected its own attack to be turned back against it.
"As expected of Grey, he found a countermeasure that quickly. Then how will you deal with this next move?"
N was slowly beginning to understand what it meant to devote himself completely to battle.
This feeling was utterly unlike anything he had experienced before.
So this...
Was what Grey had called truth?
Grey's earlier words suddenly surfaced in N's mind.
Back then he had wanted to know what truth really was, but no matter how hard he chased after it, he could never grasp its essence.
But fighting Grey today was helping him understand it, little by little.
"This is still just the warm-up. Whatever kind of move you've got, bring it at me!"
Grey beckoned toward N. Genesect did not move, remaining in place as it waited for orders.
Then N's command came sharply.
"Sandstorm!"
Landorus endured the pain and spread both arms wide!
A roaring wind erupted as waves of yellow sand burst from its body, forming a Sandstorm barrier that blotted out the sky.
Amid the flying sand and stones, Genesect's figure was quickly swallowed by the chaos, its form entirely obscured.
And Landorus could clearly feel part of the source of power within itself becoming stronger.
[Ability: Sand Force.]
[Effect: During a sandstorm, Rock-, Steel-, and Ground-type moves gain a 30% power boost!]
"Now, Sand Tomb!"
Half-hidden in the raging sandstorm, Landorus's figure flickered in and out.
It clenched both fists and slammed them into the ground!
Boom!
The entire battlefield shook violently. The once-solid ground instantly softened and collapsed into a churning whirlpool of quicksand!
Like rolling waves, the sands spread beneath Genesect's feet, trying to drag it down into a bottomless pit of sand!
Facing a Sand Tomb boosted by Sand Force, Grey snapped his fingers and answered at once.
"Genesect, Magnet Rise!"
A stream of golden electricity surged beneath Genesect, forming an invisible film that lifted it off the ground and freed it from the influence of Ground-type energy.
Sand Tomb missed completely.
But at some point, Landorus had vanished.
"Oh? This Landorus has pretty sharp battle instincts."
Grey used Aura to sense Landorus's position.
It had used Sand Tomb as cover to disappear into the storm, completing its concealment.
And now it was rapidly closing in on Genesect at a speed the naked eye could not track!
"Smack Down!"
Within the sandstorm, Landorus condensed two massive rocks in its hands and hurled them like artillery shells!
"Rise straight up, then use Blizzard!"
Boom!
The two giant rocks screamed through the air, but Genesect rose nimbly and dodged them.
The stones crashed into the ground with a heavy impact, shattering instantly into flying debris.
At that very instant, the cannon on Genesect's back had already risen, and a piercingly cold light began gathering at its mouth.
With a harsh mechanical hum, Blizzard exploded outward, carrying countless ice crystals with it!
Ice shards tangled with sand grains, forming a terrifying storm of frozen grit!
"Rock Slide!"
Sensing trouble, Landorus slammed both palms into the ground, causing several enormous walls of rock to burst upward like shields before it.
Blizzard crashed violently into those stone barriers. Frost spread rapidly across their surfaces, cracks racing through them, but the solid defense ultimately held.
Shattered ice and dust fell in streams, piling into a chaotic mess at Landorus's feet.
"Oh, both sides are countering each other move for move! The exchange is going back and forth, and right now it's impossible to tell who has the advantage!"
Commentator Slowking leaned forward so far he was practically tipping out of his seat. Watching the battle before him, he had already lost count of how many times he had cried out in shock.
He had no idea what kind of Pokémon Genesect was, but the fact that it could go head-to-head with a second-tier Legendary like Landorus made one thing obvious, it had to be a being of roughly the same standing.
"Good. Then next up is..."
Grey snapped his fingers.
"Flash Cannon!"
The freezing light in Genesect's back cannon vanished instantly, replaced in the next moment by a brilliant silver glow!
The cannon mouth blazed with metallic light as energy gathered at high speed into a dazzling sphere.
Beep, beep, beep!
As the shrill charging sound hit its peak, the beam cannon fired!
Where the blast passed, the rocky barriers Landorus had hastily thrown up with Rock Slide instantly broke apart. The tremendous force exploded the stones in every direction.
Before Landorus could even react, the violent shockwave of energy had already hurled it backward, plowing a trench several meters long through the sandy ground before it barely managed to steady itself.
With its Special Attack boosted, even Landorus, leader of the Forces of Nature, could not completely endure the power of that Flash Cannon.
"Landorus, are you alright?"
N asked with concern.
"Lando!" (It was just Flash Cannon from some tiny bug. I can keep fighting!)
Landorus struck several poses to show that it was fine.
"That's good."
Seeing that Landorus was not seriously hurt, N let out a breath of relief, but he was already thinking through his next move.
Genesect was currently under Magnet Rise, which meant Ground-type moves would be ineffective.
Landorus did not have many moves it could use, and there were even fewer that would truly be effective here.
"I didn't expect Genesect to be this troublesome... Do I need to send out Zekrom early? Or maybe switch to Zoroark..."
Genesect was Bug and Steel type. Out of all eighteen types, only Fire-type moves had a type advantage over it.
If he used Zekrom, that would just be a matter of crushing it through raw stats.
As for Zoroark, it could use Flamethrower or Burning Jealousy, either of which would hit Genesect four times as hard.
But after thinking it over, N decided to keep Landorus in the fight.
"Landorus, I'm counting on you. Stealth Rock!"
N chose to set hazards!
"Well now, so you've learned how to set hazards, have you?"
Grey raised a brow, a little surprised.
"Lando!"
Landorus slowly spread both arms, its palms facing upward.
Countless sharp stone spikes appeared around its body, then vanished into the air in an instant, blending into the battlefield itself.
A murderous tension immediately settled across the entire arena. The Genesect currently on the field would not be hurt by it, but any Pokémon Grey switched in next would be in danger.
"Genesect, keep fighting. Ice Beam!"
The cannon on Genesect's back lit with a biting cold glow. Several blue-white arcs of energy intertwined and shot at Landorus with a piercing shriek!
"Landorus, use Stone Edge to resist it!"
At the critical moment, Landorus slammed both palms into the ground, and countless jagged stone lances erupted upward, colliding head-on with the freezing beam.
Clang!
As ice crystals and shattered rock burst everywhere, several stone lances broke through the freezing barrage and crashed into Genesect's steel body, producing a deafening metallic impact!
[That's exactly what I wanted to see, bro! Not a stomp, a real evenly matched battle!]
[Genesect, charge! Who cares about Landorus? Flesh is weak, long live mechanical ascension!]
[Go, Landorus! Show the power of Unova's Legendary Pokémon!]
The audience in the stream was having the time of their lives. They were loving every second of it.
"Gene." (That move packs quite a punch. If this keeps up, it feels like we're headed for a mutual knockout.)
Genesect's stamina had dropped slightly. It calculated the remaining endurance on both sides, and from the current numbers, if things kept going like this, a double knockout seemed like the only possible result.
"Don't panic."
Grey waved it off, then brought both arms together in front of himself like the barrel of a cannon.
"Genesect, Techno Blast!"
Techno Blast was a move whose type changed based on the Drive Genesect was carrying.
Right now, Genesect was not carrying a Drive.
So the move's type was...
Normal!
Which was just right for dealing with Landorus!
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