On the afternoon of 11/11, the stadium finally welcomed the long-awaited grand final.
At opposite ends of the battlefield, Ethan Black and Lucas Silver faced one another, instantly igniting the crowd's excitement.
"Ethan, well done. I didn't expect your Sandslash to master a move like Sandstorm. But my Metang is a Steel-type Pokémon... how are you going to deal with that?" said Lucas Silver with a mocking smile as he threw his Poké Ball, summoning the imposing floating body of Metang into the air.
"Of course I have a plan," Ethan Black replied with a confident smile. "You'd better get ready. Don't go falling down again like last time!"
Almost instantly, Sandslash also appeared on the battlefield.
"Then, let's go! I don't think your Sandslash can fly into the sky," Lucas Silver taunted.
While they exchanged words, the referee officially started the battle.
"Sandslash, use Sand Attack!" shouted Ethan Black without wasting time.
Just as the referee finished speaking, Sandslash gathered energy into his claws, striking the ground quickly. A powerful sandstorm laden with rocks formed and surged directly toward the hovering Metang.
"Use Iron Defense!" Lucas Silver ordered calmly.
Metang, midair, cloaked itself in Steel-type energy. A metallic light spread across its body, fortifying it further.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
A barrage of impacts rang out as rocks and sand struck Metang. But its body didn't even budge.
"What a strong defense! No wonder it's a Steel-type pseudo-legendary..." exclaimed Ethan Black, narrowing his eyes. He knew that Ground-type moves were supposed to be effective against Metang.
Lucas Silver noticed Ethan Black's surprised expression and smiled in satisfaction.
With its levitating ability, Metang could evade most of Sandslash's melee attacks. And by taking Sand Attack with Iron Defense, not only did it reinforce its durability, it also aimed to shatter its opponent's confidence.
"Metang, counterattack!"
Metang's eyes gleamed as it unleashed its signature move Psychic. Its mental power manifested as a beam of energy directed at Sandslash.
"Rapid Spin!" cried Ethan Black.
Sandslash reacted instantly, spinning quickly in place. Harnessing centrifugal force, he deflected the Psychic move and quickly shifted to the lower part of the field, closing in on Metang.
"Metang, dodge! Don't let him catch you with that whirlwind!" Lucas Silver warned, anticipating Ethan Black's plan and immediately ordering his Pokémon to reposition, giving Sandslash no chance.
"He's predicted everything...?" Ethan Black frowned gravely.
Lucas Silver, confident in his read of the battle, smiled with satisfaction. He had already studied all of Sandslash's attack strategies thoroughly. Metang was its natural nemesis.
"Sandslash, use Sandstorm!" Ethan Black ordered obstinately.
"Shaaa!"
Sandslash roared, immediately forming a new sand whirlwind that rose fiercely toward the sky. But Metang, already on guard, kept a safe distance, floating with a mocking air.
Soon after, to the astonishment of the crowd, the field was engulfed by the sandstorm.
"I told you, it's useless. Metang, cover the entire field with Psychic! Don't let those random whirlwinds touch you."
Lucas Silver remained calm. As a Steel-type Pokémon, Metang was immune to the environmental damage of Sandstorm. Moreover, its psychic power allowed it to track Sandslash's every move with precision.
Boom!
Right after his words, a whirlwind suddenly appeared in the field. But thanks to Metang's psychic power, it foresaw it and dodged with ease.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Other whirlwinds emerged, but none could reach Metang.
"I told you, I've completely analyzed your attack patterns," Lucas Silver shrugged, fully relaxed.
"Really?" Ethan Black replied, a faint smile curling at his lips.
Moments later, another whirlwind appeared. Metang dodged again with ease—dust didn't even graze it.
Hehehe...
Metang let out a mocking laugh from above.
But just then, the unexpected happened. That whirlwind, under Sandslash's control, turned into a sand whip that lashed fiercely at Metang!
Metang, startled by the sudden attack, reacted in time thanks to its mental perception, managing to swerve with a twist in the air.
However, before it could relax, another sand whip quickly followed, generating a powerful gust that forced it to use all its aerial agility to evade the strike.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the sound of lashing wind multiplied. When Metang looked to the side, it was met with multiple overlapping shadows of sand whips... it could no longer tell which one was real!
Boom!
In an instant, Metang felt a sharp pain. Its mind clouded for a second, and when it realized, it was already trapped in the whirlwind.
The world spun and shook violently, as though something had bound it and was slamming it over and over.
At the same time!
The entire audience erupted in cries of astonishment!
To their eyes, the sand whirlwind manipulated by Sandslash seemed to have turned into a living whip, thrashing violently, spawning multiple projections that filled the sky.
And Metang, ensnared in that web of shadows, looked like a bound lobster, trailing silver streaks as it spun through the air.
Boom!
Finally, the sand whip struck the ground with force. With a deafening crash, the field trembled three times, raising a cloud of dust that blanketed everything.
When the dust slowly cleared, an enormous crater appeared at the center of the field. From the crater, a web of cracks spread in all directions like spiderwebs. The impact was so brutal that everyone present was left stunned, unable to believe what they were seeing.
(End of chapter)