"Bisharp"

  Kaide watched in disbelief as Bisharp's helmet was dented by a single kick from Lucario. He simply couldn't uand—why was the oppo's strength this overwhelming?

  Iy, every single one of Julian's Pokémon were far strohan others of their kind.

  After all, any Pokémardless of type—could find itself forced into close bat at some point. And in such situations, sheer strength could mean the differeween victory a.

  Not to mention, Lucario was a Fighting-type. If it wasn't strong, it would be an embarrassment to its own type.

  Bisharp struggled to stand up, shaking its head. After taking a full force Kick, it felt as if a dozen Pidgey were flying circles around its head.

  "Aura Sphere," Julian ordered.

  "Dark Pulse!"

  Aura Sphere was a guaranteed hit, meaning Bisharp had only two options—block it with a defensive move or ter with an attack.

  A deep purple-bck Dark Pulse cshed head-on with the glowing blue Aura Sphere.

  Julian was a little surprised. Even though Bisharp's head was still spinning from the previous hit, it had mao fire off Dark Pulse with pinpoint accuracy. That was impressive.

  However, Aura Sphere began pushing Dark Pulse back, steadily advang toward Bisharp. Even when Bisharp poured more power into Dark Pulse, it couldn't slow down the Aura Sphere.

  "Use Ssh!"

  Just as Aura Sphere pletely shattered Dark Pulse, Bisharp's right-arm bde extended in an instant. With a downward ssh, it cut through the air, leaving behind a silver-white arc.

  With a sharp tearing sound, Aura Sphere lit in two.

  Bisharp remained in its sshing stance, slowly raising its head. It was just about to act smug and say something like, "Is that all?"

  Bisharp: 'Wait… where did he go?'

  However, Lucario was nowhere in sight.

  A moment ter, Bisharp heard its trainer's urgent voice.

  "Behind you!"

  But it was too te.

  Feeling a wave of intense heat at its back, Bisharp's face was filled with despair. It didn't eveo turn around—it already knew what was ing.

  Fire Punch!

  "Use Swords Dance!"

  Julian: 'Too te'

  Lucario's Fire Punbsp;was already less than teimeters away. The fmes licked at Bisharp's armor, and at this distahere was no way it could activate Swords Danbsp;in time.

  A, somehow… the impossible happened.

  Most Pokémon used Swords Danbsp;by spinning their bodies to gather momentum. Bisharp was no exception.

  However, unlike most Pokémon, every part of Bisharp's body was a os waist had a ring of bdes.

  And by sheer bad luck, Lucario's Fire Punbsp;had struck that exact spinning bde.

  If Lucario had aimed at any other part, Bisharp wouldn't have been able to plete its Swords Dance. Julian would have shattered its momentum before it could even finish.

  But because of that spinning waist bde, Lucario's Fire Punbsp;was deflected away to the side.

  The attack had failed, and in turn, the oppo's Swords Danbsp;successfully activated.

  After Swords Dance, Bisharp's attack power increased signifitly, and it suddenly felt like it could fight again.

  fidence was a good thing, but blind fidence was another matter entirely.

  "Lucario, Close bat!"

  "Bisharp, Fury Cutter!"

  Lucario lunged forward, using every part of its body—hands, fists, knees, elbows, palms—each being a on of destru, ung a relentless assault against Bisharp.

  Surprisingly, this time Bisharp held its ground. Its arm bdes gleamed silver, sshing through the air with incredible precision, blog every single one of Lucario's strikes.

  Spectatasped in amazement.

  At this speed, the movements of both Pokémon had bee a blur—so fast that the human eye could barely follow.

  But defense s forever.

  As Lucario's Close bat grew even faster, Bisharp began tle to keep up. Its arm bde swung upward, attempting to block Lucario's ining punch.

  But it was just a fra of a sed too te.

  Bisharp: 'It's over!'

  And just as it feared—its defense crumbled.

  In the very sed, Lucario's fists rained down like a storm, pummeling Bisharp relentlessly.

  Lucario: "Ora Ora Ora Ora------!"

  Bisharp's body became nothing more than a pung bag, abs the full force of Lucario's furious onsught.

  "Boom!"

  With one final, devastating punch, Bisharp was sent flying over a hundred meters, crashing heavily into the ground.

  This time, it didn't get back up.

  "Luca…"

  Lucario panted heavily, its breathing slightly bored. Maintaining such high-speed bat was incredibly draining.

  Had Bisharp held out for even three or four more seds, Lucario wouldn't have been able to sustain that level of attay longer.

  With this victory, Julian took the first round, igniting a wave of excitement among the Drakorian audience.

  They all knew Julian was strong, but Kaide was no po either.

  After all, Kaide wasn't just any trainer—he was the Prince of Gallia, and like Julian, he was sidered the stro of his geion in his try.

  Though they tio support Julian, many had felt a sense of unease before the match.

  But now, with Lucario defeating Bisharp, even if they couldn't predict the oute of the rounds, at least they had a solid start.

  "Wait… was Bisharp really this weak? I've seen its battle footage before—it eveed a mid-rae as an early Elite!"

  "That mid-rae was from Gallia, right?"

  "Yeah."

  "Well, that expins it. In Drakoria, even a peak pseudo-Elite destroy a early-rae from Gallia."

  "Don't believe me? Look at King Julian—he did exactly that!"

  "Lucario: You fell, before I even Mega Evolved."

  "Don't listen to that guy—Bisharp is actually really strong. If we were both early Elites, I wouldn't be able to beat it."

  "Everyone, e quick! We found an ho guy here!"

  As Julian secured the first victory, the livestream chat exploded with excitement.

  Meanwhile, at the se, Hannah clutched the arm of the woman beside her, shoutiedly.

  Kaide silently retrieved his fallen Bisharp, his expression unreadable, his teammates stood behind him, silent, not daring to utter a word.

  Among them, Richard' eyes gleamed with mockery.

  'The so-called stro Prince of the royal family, That's it?'

  Julian, oher hand, also recalled Lucario, although Lucario could still fight another round, there was o push it further.

  After all, it wasn't often that he found a worthy oppo his age—it only made seo let his other Pokémon have a ce to battle as well.

  Kaide was irong. Even though they had only fought och, Julian could already tell—Kaide was capable of battling above his rank, a peak pseudo-Elite able to defeat an early Elite.

  That alone made him a true genius.

  At the same level, even Max probably wouldn't be able to beat him.

  Max himself khis, too. After all, he had faced Kaide before—and lost, that was why he had warned Julian to take this match seriously.

  It's just that he had uimated Julian, Lucario hadn't even Mega Evolved, a had defeated an early Elite stage Bisharp, that fact alo Max truly stunned.

  Julian's Pokémon… were getting more and more ridiculous.

  *****

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