At 3 p.m., Julian's exhibition match officially began.
He and Duke were already standing at opposite ends of the arena, and the protective barrier was activated.
Activating the protective barrier for a Champion-level battle was like burning money. The last time Julian fought against the Champion of Pannar, the barrier was active for about three to four minutes, costing Pannar over ten billion.
It even made a certain high-ranking official in Pannar heartbroken.
But Drakoria had no such concerns—it was wealthy and powerful.
Moreover, with billions of viewers watching the exhibition match, the advertising revenue alone would cover the cost.
---
Pokémon: Metagross (Steel/Psychic)
Level: 91
Potential: Gold
Ability: Light Metal
Held Item: Metal Coat
Gender: Genderless
Moves: Tackle, Steel Beam, Confusion, Metal Claw, Bullet Punch, Flash Cannon, Magnet Rise, Psychic, Scary Face, Hammer Arm, Meteor Mash, Take Down, Agility, Hyper Beam
TMs: Iron Head, Zen Headbutt, Iron Defense, Reflect, Protect, Light Screen, Psycho Cut, Shadow Ball, Gyro Ball, Psyshock, Trailblaze, Bulldoze, Mud-Slap, Aerial Ace, Icy Wind, Rock Tomb, Brick Break, Thunder Punch, Rest, Teleport, Psychic Fangs, Hard Press, Giga Impact, Future Sight, Focus Punch, Earthquake, Heavy Slam, Body Slam, Ice Beam Rock Slide, Grass Knot, Ice Punch, Fire Punch, Recover
Egg Moves: None
Note: Enhanced by the Heart of Arceus—all stats boosted, potential increased.
Note: After absorbing the Blacklight Core, the Pokémon continuously absorbs sunlight to restore its stamina (limited to Steel- and Rock-types)
Note: After using the Steel Crystal, Steel-type moves’ power increased by 30%.
Note: Enhanced by the Blood of the Gods—potential transformed.
Note: Gold potential—path to godhood unlocked.
---
Julian sent out Metagross.
This exhibition match was not only held for him but also for Metagross—it was its first public appearance since becoming a Champion.
Its silver-white body shimmered with a metallic luster under the sunlight.
Metagross hovered quietly in mid-air, and amid the cheers of 500,000 live spectators, it slowly opened its mouth and rumbled:
"Meta!"
Metagross was Julian’s ace Pokémon—no matter how powerful the opponent, it would always overcome them.
At the same time, Metagross was also the signature Pokémon of the Walker family.
On the other side, Duke looked at Julian, who exuded youth, confidence, and unrestrained energy, unable to hide the admiration in his eyes.
He was not only the hope of the Walker family but also the hope of Drakoria.
The Poké Ball in Duke's hand expanded, and he threw it out.
Then, to Julian’s surprise, a Pokémon he hadn’t expected appeared opposite Metagross.
---
Pokémon: Sirfetch’d (Fighting)
Level: 93
Potential: Purple
Ability: Steadfast
Held Item: Focus Band
Gender: Male
Moves: Iron Defense, Fury Cutter, Peck, First Impression, Sand Attack, Rock Smash, Brutal Swing, Detect, Leer, Knock Off, Defog, Brick Break, Swords Dance, Slam, Leaf Blade, Final Gambit, Meteor Assault
TM Moves: Solar Blade, Protect, Steel Wing, Sunny Day, Focus Energy, Superpower, Substitute, Throat Chop, Close Combat, Work Up, Brave Bird, Poison Jab
Egg Moves: Counter, Quick Attack, Covet, Feint
Note: After absorbing the Fighting-type Ultimate treasure—Spirit of Combat, its physical attributes have been enhanced by 2x to 4x across the board.
Note: Enhanced by the Vital Eye, triples the chance of landing critical hits.
---
"Sir!"
Sirfetch'd had snow-white feathers and a distinctive V-shaped brow, giving it a heroic appearance. It wielded a leek-shaped sword and a shield made of leek leaves.
Its overall look was quite similar to its pre-evolved form, Farfetch'd.
Farfetch’d could be found in many places across the world. Even though its delicious meat had led to it being nearly hunted to extinction in some countries, that only applied to wild ones.
There were many trainers in the world who owned a Farfetch'd.
However, trainers who possessed a Sirfetch'd were extremely rare.
In terms of rarity alone, even many of the pseudo-legendaries would pale in comparison to Sirfetch’d.
Despite the huge number of Farfetch’d in the world, very few of them ever evolved.
The reason was, of course, that its evolution conditions were incredibly difficult.
It wasn’t due to a scarcity of evolution stones, nor because it needed to reach an unusually high level to evolve, or because it required some specific environmental condition.
Its evolution method could be called extremely special—or downright bizarre.
For a Farfetch'd to evolve into a Sirfetch'd: it must land three or more critical hits on its opponent during battle.
Due to differences in physiology and species, each Pokémon had its own vital points. For example, humans had vital points like the head, heart, and neck.
Pokémon, however, had different vital points.
In fact, in most battles, it was unlikely to land even a single critical hit on an opponent, let alone three in one battle.
The probability of landing three in one battle was about the same as winning a million-dollar lottery—slightly higher than a five-million lottery jackpot, but still very unlikely.
And the opponent intentionally letting Farfetch'd land critical hits didn’t count—they had to be genuine.
Because of this peculiar evolution requirement, out of a million Farfetch’d trainers, it was rare to find even one with a Sirfetch’d.
However, Duke’s Sirfetch’d had used an Ultimate treasure—Vital Eye—which tripled the chance of landing critical hits.
That was probably the key factor that allowed his Farfetch’d to evolve.
Additionally, it had also used another Ultimate Fighting-type treasure—one that Julian's Lucario had also used.
A single Pokémon that had been enhanced by two Ultimate treasures was no ordinary opponent.
It had to be said—Duke truly deserved to be called the strongest Champion—his depth of resources was truly formidable.
If Julian didn’t have the Dowsing Machine that made finding Ultimate treasures so much easier, his current collection would probably only amount to two or three at most.
Due to Sirfetch'd's rarity, its appearance drew even more attention than a pseudo-legendary Pokémon.
There was even a popular influencer on TikTok who owned a Sirfetch’d—and thanks to it, they earned hundreds of millions a year. In fact, Sirfetch’d’s endorsement value was higher than that of most celebrities.
This was also Julian’s first time seeing a Sirfetch’d in person, and he couldn’t help but take a few extra glances.
With its thick V-shaped brow and its expressionless yet somewhat comical face, the duck looked both heroic and oddly adorable.
"Looks pretty cool," Julian muttered under his breath.
"Meta~"
Metagross: "What did you just say?"
'I just became a Champion, and you're already admiring the opponent?'
The King of Jealousy, Metagross, was online.
Faced with Metagross's accusatory glare, Julian cursed himself for his careless remark. How could he forget that this guy was the jealousy king?
He quickly gave an awkward laugh and said, "I meant that you, Metagross, look incredibly cool and majestic under the sunlight."
Metagross stared at Julian for a few more seconds before finally turning its attention back to the battle.
Duke was a Psychic-type Champion, with Psychic-types as his primary specialty. His ace Pokémon was an Alakazam nearing the peak of Champion-level.
His secondary specialty was Fighting-types, and Sirfetch'd was the strongest among his Fighting-type Pokémon.
"Metagross, this guy is tough. Be careful," Julian said seriously.
A Sirfetch’d empowered by two Ultimate treasures was not something Julian would take lightly.
Moreover, its trainer was Duke, a battle-hardened veteran.
Even though this was just an exhibition match with no need for a decisive outcome, Julian naturally wanted Metagross to put on an impressive performance.
"Meta~"
Metagross nodded. Even without Julian's reminder, it could sense that the duck across the field was going to be a tough opponent. Under its piercing gaze, Metagross felt an undeniable discomfort.
*****
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