Metagross was an all-around warrior—there was no weakness to be found on it. Perhaps the only shortcoming was its type disadvantage.
But type disadvantages were unavoidable; after all, they were innate.
Fire types were weak against Water types.
No matter how much you boosted your Pokémon's resistance to Water, Fire-type Pokémon would still be at a disadvantage against Water types.
The only difference was that with higher resistance, Water-type moves would deal slightly less damage to Fire-types.
When it came to type disadvantages, even a First-class Legendary couldn't escape them—they would still be at a disadvantage.
"Sir!"
Sirfetch'd let out a sharp cry, its feet moving rapidly across the ground. The duck became a series of afterimages, flickering and shifting across the battlefield.
Its speed was almost comparable to short-distance teleportation.
But in its heart, Sirfetch’d was frustrated—all of its moves were close-range.
Metagross had the advantage in both attack and defense, so engaging in close combat was clearly disadvantageous for Sirfetch'd. However, it had no long-range moves, so close combat was its only option.
Well, not exactly "none"—it did have one ranged move, but that was its ultimate finishing technique, its killing blow.
"Meta!"
A surge of psychic energy erupted from Metagross, expanding outward like ripples on water, spreading from its position to every corner of the arena.
When Sirfetch’d came into contact with these ripples, its speed was noticeably hindered—it felt like rowing upstream against a powerful current.
"Sir!"
Seeing this, Sirfetch'd raised its lance and began moving its body rapidly, gathering energy within.
It was using Swords Dance.
With the boost from Swords Dance, the psychic pressure was shattered.
"Fetch!"
Feeling invigorated by its power-up, Sirfetch’d charged toward Metagross in huge strides, its lance whipping through the air.
Brutal Swing!
Its attack was wild and unrestrained, the lance turned into a flurry of whips, each swing cracking the air like a sonic boom.
The terrifying sound of explosions echoed across the battlefield. If not for the protective barrier, the sound alone would have been enough to lethally injure any nearby spectators.
Faced with the lightning-fast Brutal Swing, Metagross responded simply by using Iron Defense.
If you like to attack, then go ahead and attack.
Amid a series of crackling sparks, Metagross stood completely unfazed. In contrast, Sirfetch'd was so exhausted that its tongue was nearly hanging out.
'This damn thing is just standing there letting me hit it—who does it think it's looking down on?'
'I'll beat you to death!'
Sirfetch'd felt insulted by this arrogant opponent. Yet, despite whacking it so hard that sparks flew from its leek lance, the other party remained completely unharmed.
> "Did Sirfetch’d skip lunch, or is Champion Duke going way too easy on it?"
> "Bullshit! Sirfetch'd could take down an Elite-level Pokémon with a single casual strike. The reason Metagross is fine is because its own defense is absolutely terrifying."
No matter if it was the live audience or the livestream chat, there were always plenty of sharp-eyed viewers who understood what was happening.
Inside VIP Box 3 sat the Fairy-type Elite Catherine, along with her best friend, the Water-type Elite Lola. Among the eighteen Type Elites, the two of them were the only women.
"Looks like your Brother Walker isn’t going to show up after all," Lola said with a light smile.
She was already in her sixties, but because she ate a Beauty Berry at thirty, her appearance had remained that of a thirty-year-old, exuding a captivating charm.
No wonder so many men adored her.
And if Lola was already stunning, then Catherine, sitting next to her, was downright devastating—a true beauty capable of toppling kingdoms. If this were ancient times, she’d be the very definition of a "fox spirit"—an enchanting vixen.
"With Evelyn here, of course he wouldn't come."
Catherine replied faintly, but her tone carried a hint of resentment.
With that tone, even Celebi wouldn't believe there was nothing between John and Catherine at some point.
"Your Brother Walker is too old for you anyway. What about that young man down there? If you can't be your Brother Walker's wife, being his granddaughter-in-law would work too."
"And that would be so much more exciting, wouldn’t it?"
It seemed that when women got together, their conversations could be even more scandalous than men's—even if the two women were esteemed Elites.
Catherine's face flushed slightly as she scolded, "What nonsense are you talking? I'm even older than his mother."
Lola reached out and gently stroked Catherine's impeccably smooth, tender cheek. "With a face like this, what man could resist? Age is just a number."
Catherine swatted her hand away and turned her attention back to the match.
"What level do you think Julian's Metagross is at?"
Even if it was just an exhibition match where neither side was going all-out, you could still get a decent idea of Metagross's power from what it had shown so far.
"With defense and attack like that, no opponent below late-stage Champion-level stands a chance against it," Lola said, picking up a lychee with her slender fingers.
She peeled it open, but instead of eating it, she popped it into Catherine’s mouth.
"Mmph—"
Catherine's mouth was suddenly stuffed.
"...What a monster. To have late-stage Champion strength at the early-stage of Champion-level... This young man's future achievements will definitely shock us all."
"If I wasn't already married, I'd be making a move myself."
"But it's fine—my daughter is even more beautiful than I am. Such an outstanding man… well, I suppose I’ll let that little girl have him."
Catherine swallowed the lychee and said irritably, "Julian and Nicole are in a relationship. If you do this, you'll be offending Champion Duke."
"Hmph, so what? Champion Duke has already reached his potential. Julian is the real rising star. Do you think if I don’t make a move, other families won’t either?"
"A 22-year-old Champion, with the combat power of a late-stage Champion at the early-stage of Champion-level—Cath, do you realize what this means?"
"He’s a man destined to become the world’s strongest—no, wait—he will be the world’s strongest in the future!"
Lola gazed down at Julian with burning intensity.
This exhibition match wasn’t just Julian’s first public display of strength since becoming a Champion; it was also a kind of signal to the nation’s elite families.
Every family watching this exhibition match could clearly see Metagross’s true power.
Julian was a future Supreme Powerhouse.
Julian had walked his entire path this way—undefeated by anyone at his level, and more often than not, fighting and defeating opponents above his level.
If a family could align itself to such a powerhouse, it wouldn’t just rise with the wind—it would guarantee prosperity for at least a hundred years.
So, even if Julian and Nicole were in a relationship, or even already engaged, that wouldn’t stop anyone from trying to steal him away.
Of course, small and medium-sized families didn't need to bother—they simply didn’t have the qualifications.
Only major families truly had the standing to propose a marriage alliance with Julian.
Compared to Catherine, who had risen from humble beginnings to become an Elite, Lola came from a powerful family. Her considerations ran far deeper than Catherine’s.
*****
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