Amid thunderous applause, the "nobleman" Steven made his official entrance.
When Metang came out, a wave of wild cheers erupted instantly. The "pseudo-legendary" title always drew in hordes of admirers.
Even though the opposing Trainer sent out a fully evolved Golem, it still failed to attract much attention.
The battle between them began quickly.
Golem opened with its specialty combo: Defense Curl plus Rollout.
Not too fast or too slow, with a constantly adjusting trajectory that demonstrated its excellent control.
But Metang floated calmly in place, unmoving, as a blue glow filled its eyes. It directly lifted the 300-kilogram Golem into the air.
The Rollout was instantly nullified. Then Metang used Confusion again, accelerating the Golem and slamming it hard into the ground.
Seizing the opportunity, Metang drew back both claws like rocket thrusters and propelled itself forward, appearing in front of Golem in the blink of an eye.
Bullet Punch!
Steel-type energy exploded forth. Golem, just getting up, had no time to react before its head was struck by a lightning-fast steel fist.
Victory!
…A completely overwhelming victory.
The cheers in the stadium reached a fever pitch. Metang had proven its pseudo-legendary status with brute force, setting the entire crowd ablaze.
In the waiting room, a few claps could be heard. But more than that, eyes full of heavy contemplation.
Everyone had prepared themselves for Metang not being weak, but they hadn't expected it to be so flawlessly strong.
Lifting a 300-kilogram Golem had proven its overwhelming psychic power.
Its ability to instantly close distance highlighted its unmatched speed.
And that final Bullet Punch had struck Golem's usual weak point: its head.
All of it showed Metang's precise timing and combat awareness. The only thing it hadn't demonstrated yet… was defense.
But Steel-types were best known for their defense.
'This was a Metang with no weaknesses…'
A despair-inducing opponent, just thinking about it.
And Metang's level? Clearly among the best of the entire event.
Peak Elite.
When Steven returned to the Waiting Area and handed Metang to the medical staff for recovery, everyone's eyes followed him the entire way.
---
The tournament continued.
Perhaps Metang had pushed expectations too high, because the next three matches drew very little applause.
It seemed no one had recovered from Metang's overpowering performance.
In this atmosphere, Haruki's number was called.
Maybe it was because only Haruki and Steven had acknowledged each other earlier with a nod. His entrance finally caught the attention of a few contestants who regained some focus.
But Haruki's expression was grim.
This time, he had been chosen as the one arranged by the organizers.
It made sense. Haruki's only public battle record was a promotional exhibition match during the grand opening of Galactic Department Store.
In a tournament as competitive as the Sandstorm Showdown, it was only natural he'd be seen as a weakling.
---
Amid the swirling sandstorm, a towering Steelix raised its head, looming over the much smaller Marowak. who wasn't even as tall as its tail.
Steelix VS Marowak.
A battle of extreme size difference…
Began!
Steelix didn't move. It seemed too proud to strike first against a weakling like Marowak.
"Curse."
Haruki stood on the command platform, calmly giving orders.
The opposing Trainer frowned, thinking Haruki was being unsportsmanlike. Giving the first move didn't mean letting him keep powering up.
"Steelix, use Iron Tail!"
At the sound of the command, Steelix finally moved.
Its massive body moved with unexpected agility. The serpent-like form twisted rapidly, and in almost an instant, Steelix unleashed a fierce Iron Tail, swinging it vertically toward Marowak.
"Bonemerang!"
"Maro!"
Marowak still didn't move. Curse had boosted its Defense and Attack, but at the cost of its Speed.
The bone club was thrown, circling as it spun toward the incoming Iron Tail.
Bone versus iron… an absurd clash, like an egg smashing into a rock.
That feeling didn't even have time to settle before both attacks collided.
Clang!
A crisp impact rang out as the bone club was instantly deflected.
Everyone silently thought, 'As expected.' But right after, another crash echoed across the arena.
Bang!
A different sound, but even more powerful.
The second hit of Bonemerang had struck Steelix square in the forehead!
Was it coincidence?
Or had it all been calculated from the start?
BOOM!
Another explosive sound came with a thick cloud of dust.
Steelix's Iron Tail had struck Marowak.
"Bulldoze!"
Haruki's command rang out through the stadium speakers, catching many people off guard.
How could such a small and seemingly weak Marowak possibly still fight after getting hit by Iron Tail? Had this Trainer gone mad, trying so hard to win?
But in the very next moment, waves of Ground-type energy burst from within the dust, landing directly on the dazed Steelix and dealing massive damage!
Whirrrr…
Only then did the crowd realize: Marowak's bone club was still spinning back!
Smack!
The surrounding dust cleared just in time to reveal Marowak catching its Thick Club flawlessly.
Completely unharmed.
…Iron Tail had missed?
Was Steelix seriously that bad?
Swinging that massive tail and still failing to hit such a small opponent?
In the waiting room, Steven's lips curved upward slightly.
His sharp observation had let him see through Haruki's entire strategy, and he silently admired Marowak's masterful precision control.
"Meta~"
"Don't worry, you're a hard counter to it."
Metang thought seriously for a moment, then suddenly nodded as if enlightened.
Marowak's strength lay in its club… and its weakness did too. If the bone was taken by Confusion, Marowak would lose all threat.
Gradually, more and more people started to catch on to Haruki's tactics.
Who said Bonemerang's second strike had to happen on the way back?
Haruki had trained Marowak to break free from the move's conventional design and innovate.
The first hit subtly altered Iron Tail's trajectory.
Then, by using the right angle to redirect its momentum, the second strike landed directly on Steelix's head.
A hit to the head shattered Steelix's balance instantly.
Its already off-course Iron Tail was thrown wildly off-target.
If Steelix showcased overwhelming attack power, then Marowak demonstrated flawless technique.
A precise, well-placed counter turned the tide!
Under Bulldoze, Steelix's serpentine body couldn't rise at all. At this point, its enormous body had become a burden.
And that small Marowak, brazenly dashed forward and leapt with another Bulldoze, arriving right in front of Steelix's head.
Charge up… leap… bone club strike!
Bang!
No matter how huge or durable Steelix was, a Ground-type bone club strike to the head still made it cry out in pain.
Let alone this, Marowak's signature: a double-handed, skull-cracking, direct hit to the head!
"Steelix is unable to battle. Marowak wins. The winner is Contestant 233!"
"…"
'So even in the official match, they still don't announce the names?'