Chapter 311: Terrifying Strength! Samurott Obliterated!
"DARUMMM!!! —"
Darmanitan's barrel-shaped body locked onto Samurott. In the blink of an eye, the fire ape coiled its thick legs, and a shimmering curtain of heat erupted across its skin.
With a thunderous stomp that cracked the arena floor, Darmanitan launched itself. It rocketed toward Samurott like a massive, roaring fireball, moving at a velocity that defied its bulky frame.
Flame Charge. While the Pokédex listed its base power at a modest 50, its true value lay in the secondary effect: every second the user spent in the charge, its Speed stat climbed higher.
Darmanitan moved so fast it left no room for hesitation.
Ren, realizing the danger, made a split-second call.
"Samurott!! Surf!!!"
"SAMUUUU!!!! —"
Samurott reared back on its hind legs and slammed its front paws down. Instantly, a massive wall of water surged from the arena's environmental systems, rising into a towering wave that crashed toward the incoming fireball.
The primary advantage of Surf was its massive area of effect.
Normally, a Pokémon as fast as Darmanitan could have easily maneuvered around the wave. But Ren wasn't trying to land a direct hit—he was trying to force Darmanitan to back off and break its momentum.
But facing the tidal wave, Darmanitan's expression remained one of pure, unadulterated contempt.
BOOM!!!! —
The flaming ape dove headfirst into the crashing wave.
Sizzle-sizzle-SCREECH!!!
A violent sound of high-temperature evaporation filled the stadium. Darmanitan's internal heat was so extreme that the water didn't even touch its skin—it flashed into steam the moment it got close. The ape tore through the wave, carving a tunnel of white vapor through the water as it closed the distance.
"Samu?!"
Samurott stared in horror as the steaming demon burst through the wall of water, appearing right in its face.
Darmanitan grinned. It reached out its massive, spade-like hand and snatched the spear-like horn protruding from Samurott's helmet.
"Superpower!!!! —"
"DARUMMM!!!! —"
White light engulfed Darmanitan's arms. Already muscular limbs swelled to monstrous proportions under the influence of the Fighting-type move, their size becoming almost comical in their bulk.
Superpower. Base Power: 120. It channels every ounce of the user's physical strength into a single, devastating exertion. The cost? A sharp drop in the user's own Attack and Defense.
But for this fight, one exertion was all Darmanitan needed.
With its terrifying grip on the horn, Darmanitan heaved. It literally lifted the multi-hundred-pound sea otter off the ground, spun it once in the air, and slammed it down with enough force to shatter bone.
KRA-KOOM!!!! —
The impact sent a shockwave through the entire stadium.
CRACK!!! —
SHATTER!!!! —
Two distinct breaking sounds echoed through the arena.
The first came from the floor. Under the weight of the impact, the reinforced concrete disintegrated into a spiderweb of deep fissures, leaving a massive crater where Samurott landed.
The second sound was more sickening.
The hardened, spear-like horn on Samurott's head—one of the densest biological structures in the Pokémon world—had been crushed into splinters by Darmanitan's sheer grip strength. Shards of the horn flew across the field like shrapnel.
"NO!!!! —" Ren screamed from the trainer's box.
Samurott lay in the crater, its most prized weapon destroyed, its body limp. It was deep in the red, completely unconscious.
"Samurott is unable to battle!!! Darmanitan is the winner!!!"
"DARUMMM!!!! —"
The fire ape beat its chest in a victory pose, its roar echoing off the stadium walls.
Across the field, Ren looked like a broken man. He silently recalled his unconscious partner and hurried away, his face pale with shock.
Xun didn't celebrate. He simply recalled Darmanitan and turned to leave.
Up on the high platform, Yuna Su, the Southwest Elite Four member, let out a low whistle. "A Zhurong through and through. That strength is disgusting."
"The kid has fire in his eyes," Lawson, the veteran Northwest Elite, added with a chuckle. He turned to the man in the center. "I'd say he's coming straight for your seat, Yun."
Zhurong Yun, the Champion, remained stoic, his expression unreadable.
"He's strong, but inheriting the title of Champion requires more than just a heavy hand," Mason Chu, the Southeast Elite, said, shaking his head. He clearly didn't think Xun was ready to face Yun yet.
The other Elites nodded in silent agreement. Xun was a monster compared to these qualifiers, but he likely wouldn't even make it past Lawson, let alone the Champion.
Suddenly, Zhurong Yun let out a long sigh. His tone was strangely casual. "Actually, my friends, I think I might be retiring sooner than you think."
The four regional masters turned to him, eyes wide with shock.
Based on Xun's current level, a "fair" win against Yun was impossible. The only way Xun could take the seat this year was if Yun "threw" the match—a thought that disgusted Lawson.
Lawson frowned. The title of Champion was Huaxia's greatest honor, but it was also a heavy burden. To ensure a smooth transition, outgoing Champions often went a bit "easy" on their successors, but only if that successor was truly ready.
Xun wasn't ready.
Lawson was already making a mental note: if Yun tried to throw the game, Lawson would use his own team to block Xun's path at any cost.
"Yun, we know you're a free spirit," Mason Chu said, being the first to voice his doubt. "But you have to think of the bigger picture. Xun isn't ready for the throne. Retiring now would be irresponsible."
The others murmured their agreement.
Facing the skepticism of his peers, Zhurong Yun didn't argue. Instead, a small, knowing smirk touched his lips.
"Tell me," he asked, looking at the four of them. "Are you really so sure that the winner of this year's Conference will be Xun?"
The Elites froze.
"You think someone else can beat a Zhurong in the Conference?" Mason asked incredulously.
Yun nodded with a smile.
The regional masters were stunned. Historically, whenever a Zhurong entered the Conference, the trophy was as good as theirs. They didn't enter to play; they entered to take their family's seat. It was a "dimension-reduction strike" for everyone else.
To hear the current Zhurong Champion say there was someone else capable of winning...
Who?
They didn't ask the question out loud, but their eyes demanded an answer.
Zhurong Yun didn't say a word. He simply turned his gaze back down toward the arena, focusing on a specific spot in the competitor's entrance.
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