The dining hall only snapped back to life after the referee's voice rang out.
Even then, most of the guests were still staring at the stage with wide eyes, unable to process what they had just seen.
Orion's Gholdengo was a peak Gym-level Pokémon.
Aaron's Beedrill was only peak Elite-level.
Not only had it crossed an entire major level gap, it had taken Gholdengo down in one strike.
To the people watching, it made no sense at all.
"What... what just happened?"
"I want to know too. No matter how I think about it, that shouldn't be possible."
"That Beedrill's aura is only peak elite-level, right? How did it one-shot a peak gym-level Pokémon?"
"This is unbelievable. That could go straight onto a list of all-time ridiculous battle upsets."
"Could it have been poison?"
"What kind of poison knocks out a Steel-type Pokémon instantly?"
"Right... damn it, I don't get it."
The crowd below was completely stirred up.
Just a few seconds ago, they had been calling Beedrill a joke. None of them had expected the slap in the face to come that fast.
Their faces burned with embarrassment, and now they were all talking at once, trying to cover how awkward they felt.
...
On the stage, Orion stared at his fallen Gholdengo in disbelief.
It had barely entered the field, and it was already over.
Did he have any face left at all?
Aaron looked at him and smiled faintly.
"What's wrong, Orion? Your face is a little red."
His tone stayed calm.
"Did someone slap it?"
Orion's expression flushed even harder.
His cheeks felt like they were burning.
He had never imagined the humiliation would come this quickly.
After taking a deep breath, he recalled Gholdengo into its Poké Ball. When he looked at Aaron again, the mockery in his eyes had faded.
For the first time, he was taking him seriously.
"I don't know how your Beedrill defeated my Gholdengo," Orion said coldly. "But it doesn't matter."
His gaze sharpened.
"In the end, people and Pokémon aren't that different," Orion said coldly. "Pedigree matters. Some are born with power, resources, and a place at the top."
He looked at Aaron with open superiority.
"And some are born on the outside, no matter how hard they try to pretend otherwise."
Aaron's eyes narrowed.
Anyone who knew him would recognize that look.
He was angry.
A cold edge entered his gaze as he stared back at Orion.
"Today," Aaron said evenly, "I'm going to break that ridiculous pride of yours."
Orion took out an Ultra Ball and gave him a mocking smile.
"You really don't know what you're up against."
He raised the ball.
"Then let me show you."
"Come out, Hydreigon!"
"ROOOAR!"
A pitch-black, three-headed dragon burst into the air above the stage.
Hydreigon.
A pseudo-legendary Pokémon.
The moment it appeared, it let out a roar filled with pressure. Three pairs of blood-red eyes locked onto Beedrill across the field, all carrying the same obvious disdain.
Orion's confidence returned almost immediately.
"Hahahaha..."
"You've never seen one up close before, have you?"
His smile grew smug.
"This is Hydreigon. A pseudo-legendary. The kind of Pokémon someone like you could spend your whole life chasing and still never own."
Aaron did not respond.
He simply checked Hydreigon's panel.
[Name: Hydreigon]
[Gender: Male]
[Nature: Modest]
[Type: Dragon/Dark]
[Ability: Levitate]
[Base Stats Total: 600]
[Level: Champion Class]
[Potential: Champion]
[Known Moves: Dragon Pulse (Perfect), Dragon Rush (Perfect), Dark Pulse (Perfect), Crunch (Mastery), Flamethrower (Mastery), Fire Blast (Proficient), Flash Cannon (Proficient), Roost (Mastery), Surf (Proficient), Bite (Proficient), Protect (Proficient), Heat Wave (Proficient), Dragon Rage (Proficient), Dragon Breath (Proficient), Tri Attack (Proficient), Outrage (Proficient)...]
[Description: Hydreigon, the Brutal Pokémon and the evolved form of Zweilous. It attacks anything that moves and is known as an extremely vicious Pokémon.]
...
Aaron looked calmly at the massive Hydreigon.
Champion-class.
Beedrill was only peak Elite-level, and after what had happened to Gholdengo, Orion would definitely be guarding against Flash Step now.
Looks like I'll have to use a little real skill.
Aaron muttered to himself.
Orion saw him staring at Hydreigon and thought he was stunned by envy.
His sense of superiority swelled again.
"Hahahaha... what was that you said?"
He looked at Aaron with a sneer.
"You're going to break my pride?"
"Go ahead, then. I'd love to see how you plan to do it."
Aaron glanced at him indifferently.
"Beedrill."
His voice was calm.
"Spiritual Pressure Infusion."
I already told you.
Today, I'm going to break that ridiculous pride of yours.
A cold light flashed through Aaron's eyes.
"Bzzzz..."
Beedrill's wings vibrated sharply.
In the next instant, eerie black mist surged from its body, wrapping around it completely. Its yellow body darkened to pitch black, and a terrifying aura spread across the stage.
Black mist coiled around it like smoke from the underworld.
It looked less like a Bug-type Pokémon now and more like a Shinigami in the shape of a bee.
Across the field, Orion froze.
"What kind of move is that?"
This time, he did not dare to be careless.
"Hydreigon, watch its speed!"
"ROOOAR!"
Hydreigon's three heads roared in disdain.
A mere Beedrill?
It had killed countless weak Pokémon like that before.
No matter how strange this one looked, it still did not deserve to be treated as an equal.
Aaron's eyes narrowed.
"Flash Step."
His voice dropped.
"Twinneedle."
"BZZZT!"
Beedrill vanished again.