Chsshhh!
From bottom to top, the long sword Meltan had transformed into clashed midair with Pidgeot's powerful Sky Attack.
But, incredibly, it didn't stop in the slightest. It was as if it had become an invisible thread that cut through everything in its path.
Boom!
With a deafening explosion, Pidgeot's attack was split in two, and the flying-type energy within it burst apart with tremendous force.
From the cloud of smoke that resulted, Pidgeot's figure plummeted like a kite with its string cut, crashing into the ground and raising a thick cloud of dust.
Pidgeot, who had just used its strongest attack, was taken down in a single blow!
Except for the sound of the impact, the entire stadium fell silent.
"It worked... Based on the principle of maglev trains. By using the interaction between two magnetic forces... with identical poles repelling each other..."
Ethan's eyes gleamed as he watched Meltan float slowly in the air. A smile formed on his lips.
At that moment, Dylan Keats was completely frozen. He stared in disbelief at the fallen Pidgeot. His Pokémon... had been defeated instantly?
The students around the field were just as stunned, eyes wide open.
What... had just happened?
Everything had happened so fast they hadn't even had time to react. That floating sword streaking across the air, that blow that brought down Pidgeot in one second... what move had that even been?
Headbutt?
Not in his wildest dreams!
Once the initial shock wore off, all eyes turned to the culprit: Ethan's Meltan.
Was he... really flying a sword?
Not only the students—even Derek Ashford and the others who had arrived incognito exchanged looks of surprise.
The power of the attack was impressive, yes, but what truly left them speechless was the method of combat.
Meltan had used its liquid mercury-like body together with Acid Armor to transform into a sword, then hardened itself using the moves Harden and Iron Defense until it became an indestructible weapon.
After that, it used something similar to Magnet Rise to lift itself, achieving that elegant and lethal "sword flight."
"As expected of Ethan. Only he could come up with such an absurd way of fighting."
Brandon Hayes smiled, astonished. Neither Sandslash, nor Cacturne, nor this Meltan were normal—he knew that from experience.
He also remembered the recent tournament for the starter Pokémon slot.
Back then, Meltan had been strong, yes, but it relied only on Thunder Wave and Toxic to wear down its opponents.
Against Lucien Foster's Dragonite, for example, Meltan hadn't been able to do anything like this. In pure strength, it had still been far behind.
But in such a short amount of time... its power had increased at an alarming rate. And it all seemed to stem from this "sword flight" technique.
Thinking about that, everyone gulped. Perhaps, more than his Pokémon, the truly terrifying thing was Ethan and his talent as a trainer.
On the field, Ethan stood calmly.
"Too weak. If that Pidgeot was your strongest Pokémon, I must say I'm disappointed."
His cold voice made Dylan's expression tighten. He finally gritted his teeth and retorted, "Pidgeot is only in the lower half of my team!"
"Oh, I see."
"Then send out the next one."
"I hope that one can at least last a bit longer."
Ethan smiled calmly.
Knocking out his Vibrava in one hit?
Then returning the favor with an equal defeat was only fair.
"Zzzt!"
Meltan floated beside Ethan, still in sword form, spinning in the air with flashes of light and a metallic sound that made everyone's nerves tighten.
"Go, Empoleon!"
With a dark expression, Dylan threw his Pokéball. A large penguin with a black body, blue patterns, and a golden three-point crown emerged—Empoleon, Water/Steel type.
It was clear Dylan had interpreted Meltan's previous attack as a Steel-type move, so he chose a Pokémon with quadruple resistance to Steel.
Even though Meltan also knew Electric-type moves, if Empoleon could withstand that devastating blow, there was still a chance. And besides, if he managed to endure at least one offensive strike, he'd have an excuse to escape the situation with some dignity.
After all, losing to the "Rookie King" Ethan wasn't shameful... as long as it wasn't a humiliating loss.
"Quadruple resistance to Steel?"
Ethan smiled slightly.
If he had to categorize it, the previous attack used some of Headbutt's force, so it could be considered Normal-type.
Though in truth, not even that. More than an elemental move, it was a direct result of manipulating magnetic fields: pure physical impact.
Besides, the hardness and sharpness of Meltan's body were the true source of its power. In that state, it was practically a divine sword.
"Then... try stopping this."
When Ethan finished speaking, Meltan rose again, pointing the tip of its blade toward Empoleon.
"Zzzt!"
"Zzzt!"
The air vibrated with electric currents. The field filled with a powerful magnetic force that Meltan compressed with all its might.
And in the next instant... it disappeared.
A silver shadow struck directly against Empoleon, who had crossed its steel arms defensively.
CLANG!
The metallic crash was so sharp that everyone felt a piercing pain in their ears.
Crackling, sparks, fire...
A shower of sparks erupted from the collision. And after a brief moment of tension, a burst of energy shook the entire field.
Empoleon's body shot out like a projectile, slamming violently into the protective barrier and becoming embedded in it.
(End of chapter)