Chapter 677: Champion Dawu's Coronation

Rumble rumble rumble—

The entire arena trembled violently, the sensation clear even in the spectator stands.

Hard Claw Comet Punch!

Purely on momentum alone it was like a comet falling from the heavens!

All Baimu stared straight at the towering plume of dust and the terrifying shockwave that swept across the battlefield all the way to the boundary wall, and couldn't help but put himself in the shoes of his Metagross that might one day have to take this hit.

"Hiss!"

He felt his bones ache a little.

Mega Metagross couldn't budge an ancient Pokémon, but against modern-era Pokémon it still had no trouble at all.

However…

It could take the hit!

Mega Metagross not only had physical defense pushed to the limit, it also resisted Steel-type moves, so the type-energy's power was halved and the rest was easy to talk about!

All Baimu saw Mega Salamence suddenly burst out from the dust cloud and knew it had ultimately dodged the final collision damage of the Comet Punch.

With Mega Metagross's terrifying tonnage, the force of an accelerating crash-down was no less than being hit head-on by a train at full speed.

Even without the boost of type-energy, it could still deal considerable damage to Mega Salamence's body.

That's why back then Mega Metagross's charge against Alain's Mega Charizard X could indirectly smash apart a mountain, and Champion Dawu only couldn't help but praise it after seeing Mega Charizard X actually withstand it.

And looking carefully now.

Mega Salamence's back clearly bore the scorched marks left behind by the explosion of Steel-type energy; its reactions weren't as sharp as Mega Metagross's, so the fact that it escaped at the last moment was already far from easy.

The ground.

Mega Metagross spun and scattered the smoke, the ground blasted by its charge into a terrifying crater like a massive meteor impact, and it raised its head to look up at Mega Salamence in the sky, four arms spread open, calm as a combat machine.

According to the Pokédex, Metagross has four brains linked together, and its ability to judge the situation surpasses even a supercomputer, so no matter the move, it can calculate an attack path in the first instant and dodge accordingly.

Whether it really has four brains, All Baimu didn't know.

But he did believe it dodged by calculating the attack paths of moves.

From the start it hadn't taken a single one of Mega Salamence's moves, as if it were born with max-level evasion, repeatedly dodging attacks that threatened it.

Mega Salamence had only one move, Heat Wave, with an enormous area of effect, which was hard for Mega Metagross to dodge—

But it could use Psychic to create a shield!

No matter how fierce the Heat Wave, it hadn't been able to budge the light shield Psychic created, which made All Baimu feel more and more that Champion Dawu's battle with Alain had basically released the four oceans.

Because Alain's Mega Charizard X had twice landed hits on Mega Metagross, yet whether it was Dragon Claw or Blast Burn, it was only at the level of tickling Mega Metagross.

Of course.

It was also possible that Mega Metagross simply judged there was no need to dodge.

And having calculated that Mega Salamence's flames were stronger than Mega Charizard X's, it had just now pulled its evasion to the max, just like when it dodged Ash's Pikachu's Thunderbolt at the Masters Eight Tournament.

With the long-range fire attacks repeatedly missing, Mega Salamence had no choice but to switch strategies.

It first spewed Draco Meteor into the air, then narrowly dodged the Flash Cannon fired by Mega Metagross as its four massive arms snapped together amid crackling electricity.

The Draco Meteors fell.

Each deep-purple light-arrow was far larger than the ones from a Hydreigon, looking exactly like genuine meteors crashing down.

The space Mega Metagross could dodge within rapidly narrowed.

The field was large and so was its body, so dodging such a dense attack range was indeed difficult—

But it had never been only about dodging.

"Menta!"

Mega Metagross was like a locomotive firing up its engine, its four massive arms slamming together with a boom, the tips lighting up with brilliant silver-blue radiance that swiftly enveloped its whole body, and as it spun it unleashed a terrifying wave of energy that surged toward Mega Salamence in the distance!

Comet against meteors!

One meteor light-arrow crashed down and collided with it, exploding with a roar.

But Mega Metagross's momentum didn't slow, plowing through the smoke and pressing forward, completely unaffected by the explosion.

Feeling the pressure bearing down on it, Mega Salamence fiercely charged to meet its oncoming foe, its crescent blood-tinged wings shimmering with golden light, a cross-shaped air vortex forming before it from the rush of its charge!

The sky-blue energy currents stirred up a howling wind, and its momentum actually surpassed Mega Metagross's Hard Claw Comet Punch!

Aerilate · Giga Impact!

In an instant.

The two collided violently!

Boom——!!

Like two storms sweeping the world colliding.

The terrifying explosion left countless spectators in the arena with brief tinnitus, their vision swallowed by the intense light, and only when the purple barrier rose up to block the even more horrifying shockwave did they realize what had actually happened on the field.

The blocked energy aftershock shot skyward, forming an azure pillar of light that pierced the heavens, visible for ten miles in every direction!

Countless bird Pokémon in the forest took flight in fright, and timid wild Pokémon cowered as they looked toward the arena.

If it was like this outside the field.

Inside the field, without the barrier, it would surely have been even worse.

"So this is what top-tier Mega Pokémon are like…"

All Baimu had to admit, these two Mega Pokémon that already sat at the very top in the games had become even stronger in the anime because their trainers were stronger.

For him to produce a shockwave like this, his Pokémon would have to unleash a hidden boost or raise their Attack and Special Attack multiple times.

Yet Champion Dawu and Shi Yuan Zhi had only triggered each of their Pokémon's powerful Abilities.

Mega Mawile… as one of the data-sheet physical-attack apexes, its power shouldn't be only as much as it had shown against Mega Salamence.

It should at least match Champion Dawu's Mega Metagross, or even surpass it!

To achieve this, both energy level and specialized training are indispensable, but unfortunately neither can be accomplished overnight.

Baimu shook his head.

Below.

The dust covering more than half the arena dispersed.

There, on the ruined, cratered battlefield, Mega Metagross and Mega Salamence stood at opposite ends, gazing at each other.

After that collision, did both seem unharmed?

Of course not.

Mega Metagross's previously outstretched arms hung low; its large mouth on the lower body opened and closed slightly; Mega Salamence's blood-red wings were no longer as smooth, and its breathing had become heavy and coarse.

Suddenly.

Orange-red light flared across Mega Metagross's body.

The side effect of Comet Punch!

A certain probability boosts the Pokémon's physical attack!

Baimu couldn't help but marvel at Dawu and Mega Metagross's luck—already possessing a slight edge, the stronger side had now suddenly grown even stronger, widening the gap further.

He glanced at Shi Yuan Zhi on the giant screen; the old Champion's coughs had become noticeably more frequent, just as they had at the final moments of the Meteor Village battle.

Can he still fight on?

He looked at Shi Yuan Zhi with concern.

Compared to losing fairly to an opponent, the frustration of defeat due to physical problems must be far greater, especially after realizing one is dragging down one's Pokémon.

Fortunately, the old Champion's immense willpower allowed him to fight until the very end.

At least he could give his Pokémon partners some closure.

The next battle.

Mega Salamence's offensive speed increased another level; outsiders assumed Shi Yuan Zhi, seeing Mega Metagross's stat boost, no longer wanted to prolong the match and give away opportunities.

Only those familiar with his condition knew Shi Yuan Zhi was trying his utmost to fight until the final moment while Mega Salamence was at peak power.

Mega Evolution links trainer and Pokémon's minds; if the trainer falters, the Pokémon's condition plummets rapidly.

This did not mean Shi Yuan Zhi had given up.

On the contrary, his fighting spirit was ignited; he temporarily abandoned the calm demeanor forged by years of sailing, no longer the man of few words—he shouted orders frequently, as if he had returned to his youth.

Mega Salamence, too, seemed granted an extra boost; each move's power surged dramatically, truly allowing the audience to feel the meaning behind the infamous title "Bloodstained Crescent."

Dawu and Mega Metagross, facing this Mega Salamence, grew even more cautious, fully demonstrating its astonishing spatial calculation ability.

Baimu watched Mega Metagross darting like flashes of light, and helplessly realized that Mega Bastiodon could block its attacks but struggled to counter in time.

Too agile.

Even Pikachu needed Thunderbolt to land a hit on Mega Metagross.

The battle dragged on.

Countless spectators clenched their fists, tense beyond words, watching below.

The two Pokémon's attack frequency was too fast, leaving no room for breath; the commentator hadn't stopped speaking since the start, relentlessly relaying every detail inside the arena.

Several minutes later.

The immensely powerful Mega Pokémon seized another opportunity to clash twice more; the explosion's shockwaves thinned the ground further.

The battle gradually neared its end.

The initial exchanges had been decisive due to Mega Metagross's boosted physical attack; Mega Salamence's charges failed to achieve their goal and were instead suppressed.

The Ultimate Impact under the Flying Skin ability was formidable, but still fell short of shaking Mega Metagross.

Clearly.

Dawu's Mega Metagross was no less a "hexagon" than Shi Yuan Zhi's.

"No way!"

The metallic beast bound Mega Salamence with psychic energy and hurled it out of the arena like a cannonball; the latter shot through the air, crashing into the outer wall and shattering it!

Boom!

Half its body sank into the debris.

Shi Yuan Zhi's coughing ceased abruptly; the Rotom Camera swiftly turned its lens toward the smoky, shattered wall.

"Salamence is unable to battle! Metagross wins!"

The referee's call triggered a deafening roar of cheers from countless spectators!

The Ace Battle was won.

This Champion defense match had already secured at least half the victory; the remaining half was a slim, yet possible, chance of a comeback.

Shi Yuan Zhi and Dawu each recalled Salamence and Mega Metagross.

The next Pokémon sent out were Desolate and Hypno.

Stealth Rock did not appear this time to assert its presence, as the previous terrifying explosions had scattered all hidden Explosive Rocks.

This thing couldn't be fully countered merely by rapid spinning or clearing fog.

An attack powerful enough to sweep the entire battlefield would do as well.

Old rivals stepped onto the field.

Desolate struck first with Sonic Boom to disrupt Hypno; its previous Bug Buzz had been slightly delayed and struck the light wall to no effect.

Now unharmed by Stealth Rock, it reacted quickly, launching its attack before Hypno could use Cosmic Power to boost its defenses.

I have to say.

Sonic Boom's power was fierce enough; Hypno took heavy damage.

Desolate's condition had not declined due to Shi Yuan Zhi's deteriorating mental state; instead, it seemed to have been further stirred, charging forward with renewed vigor.

No wonder it's a Pokémon daring to summon a tornado to face off against other Pokémon alone.

Yet the Cosmic Power was still successfully activated by the Graveler.

The subsequent move sequence differed from the first half—the Graveler endured all of the Sandshrew's damage to set up both Reflect and Sandstorm.

After using these three moves, it had already lost vast amounts of HP under the Sandshrew's continuous assault.

It seemed to lack any effective recovery move, and unlike the first half, it fell into disadvantage.

Then.

Something astonishing happened.

The Graveler first used Disable on the Sandshrew, then, as the opponent launched Dragon Pulse, suddenly used Teleport to appear beside it and unleashed Explosion!

The Sandshrew moved swiftly, immediately swinging its Dragon Tail at the Graveler.

But Explosion's startup was even faster!

Boom!

The explosion's firelight engulfed the entire sky!

Baimu clutched his chest—he could never bear to watch this move; each time he saw it, psychological trauma resurfaced, yet Champion Dawu was too decisive.

The smoke on the field slowly cleared.

The Sandshrew was not knocked out by Explosion—it successfully used Flash to create distance at the last moment.

But Disable prevented it from landing to use Roost.

At this moment, Champion Dawu swiftly switched in the Pokémon replacing the Graveler—

Boldore.

As one of the first Pokémon Champion Dawu trained, its strength in his team equaled that of Baimu's Gyarados and Salamence.

Once on the field, it said nothing, roared, and charged forward with Heavy Slam!

Thud!

With nearly four times the HP difference, Heavy Slam's power reached its maximum—the Sandshrew didn't even have time to cry out before being slammed clear out of the arena.

Though it didn't embed itself in the wall like Flygon, it rolled several times across the ground before stopping.

The aerial Rotom clearly captured its expression of being unable to battle.

At this point, Shi Yuan Zhi had only one Pokémon left.

Champion Dawu, besides the weakened Mega Metagross, had Boldore, which had just scored a knockout, and one unlaunched Pokémon.

The outcome was already sealed.

Shi Yuan Zhi's light cough gradually became heavy cough.

His final Pokémon, Togekiss, lacked the autonomous ability of the Sandshrew.

Under the Sandstorm, it was driven back by Boldore's Rock Slide; though it tried multiple times to counter with Earthquake and other moves, it had no chance to land.

Boldore always predicted its intended landing spot and hurled boulders there.

They struggled for a long time.

Togekiss gradually weakened from the Sandstorm, and its attacks striking Boldore were weakened by Reflect and Light Screen.

Champion Dawu ended this Champion defense match with the command: Heavy Slam.

"Togekiss is unable to battle. Boldore wins. Shi Yuan Zhi has no Pokémon left. I declare Champion Dawu the winner of this match!!"

Amid the referee's shrill cry.

Countless fireworks exploded, ribbons fluttered down from the sky, and an exhilarating celebratory symphony surrounded all spectators.

But they had no heart to appreciate the music; all rose to applaud loudly, cheering for Dawu's succession as Regional Champion, and even the sacred flame at the highest point surged several times in intensity!

With that.

The Hoenn Champion League has come to a perfect close.