Articuno's tail feathers, long and elegant, weren't just for show—they shifted with the air currents, enabling precise, flexible flight.
But now, with half of them damaged, its control was compromised. Flying was still possible, but intricate aerial maneuvers were out of the question
"Articuno, use Brave Bird!"
Articuno, eager to turn Metagross into scrap iron, heard the command from Acacia. The anger building within it seemed to explode. Its loud cry resonated with endless fury.
This intense anger transformed into substantial energy, making Brave Bird's power even more terrifying.
As Articuno dove from above, the air around it continuously compressed and dented, forming a visible air barrier. However, it had yet to break the sound barrier.
Articuno descended like a meteorite, the air pressure across the battlefield steadily increasing. Even before Brave Bird made contact, cracks and depressions began to form in the ground below.
"Gulp~!"
Many spectators swallowed hard at the sight. Even through the protective cover, they felt the immense pressure radiating from Brave Bird.
This sensation was amplified by the unique pressure of Articuno as a legendary Pokémon. Combined, these forces could intimidate most other Pokémon before they even began to fight.
Pokémon with a high life level, even when standing still, often rendered ordinary Pokémon too frightened to move.
Though champion-level Pokémon, were higher than Articuno in terms of life level, but in front of first-level legendaries even they were suppressed.
However, if a first-level legendary wants to kill a champion, that's still relatively difficult. After all, Champions were not naive; if they sensed they could not win, they would just flee.
Faced with Articuno's overwhelming assault, Julian shouted passionately, "Mega Metagross, Giga Impact!"
His blood seemed to ignite with determination.
There was no hiding, no guarding,—this would be a head-on clash.
Julian was ready to confront Articuno directly.
His bold command was precisely what the audience wanted; only the most passionate collision of moves could ignite the loudest cheers from the crowd.
"Articuno! Metagross!"
The crowd erupted in excitement, their voices echoing throughout the arena.
On the official live broadcast from Imperial College, the number of viewers online surged beyond 3 million.
Initially, this exchange match might not have warranted an official broadcast, but the appearance of Articuno prompted Imperial College to stream the event.
If the Mega Metagross emerged victorious, the reputation of Imperial College would overshadow that of Shu University, leading to a significant increase in applications next year.
Conversely, if they lost, it wouldn't be shameful. Julian's Metagross had already fought through nine matches, and its strength and energy were no longer at their peak.
Battling a legendary Pokémon like Articuno made a loss more acceptable, especially after pushing it to its limits.
Therefore, regardless of the outcome, this battle was a significant win for Imperial College.
Under the watchful eyes of countless spectators, Metagross and Articuno transformed into streaks of white and red, colliding in mid-air.
"Boom!!!"
The sound of their collision was deafening. Even with the protective cover in place, spectators closer to the action felt dizzy and disoriented from the sound's impact, their eyes blank with shock.
The violent shockwave surged across the battlefield, reminiscent of a scythe, wreaking havoc everywhere. The arena, which spanned the size of two football fields, became unrecognizable, with no intact ground left in its wake.
The protective barrier began to crumble under the onslaught of this tremendous energy.
In a panic, the staff hurriedly raised the protective cover's strength from pseudo-Elite to Elite. The barrier stabilized just in time as they gazed at the battling Pokémon with fear, internally labeling them as monsters.
"Boom!"
The standoff between the two did not last long. After only three seconds, Mega Metagross's Giga Impact overcame Articuno's Brave Bird, sending the legendary Pokémon crashing to the ground like a broken kite.
Then, Metagross landed.
"Protect!"
"Freeze Dry!"
Julian issued his command just ahead of Acacia.
Acacia's face drained of color as she realized Julian had anticipated her next move.
Articuno, now grounded, managed to unleash a weak attack, but it was effectively countered by the protection shield of Metagross.
With the shield in place, Mega Metagross positioned itself in front of Articuno, its eyes flashing with cold determination. Articuno felt a chill of dread as it locked eyes with the powerful Pokémon.
In the wild, Metagross was a ruthless hunter, feared by many.
"Metal Claw!" Julian commanded, his voice steady and cold.
The sharp claws tore through the air with a high-pitched shriek. Articuno screamed as the Metal Claw struck, feathers flying along with a spray of blood.
The blow to its head caused Articuno to tremble uncontrollably.
"Finish it with Meteor Mash!"
"Meta!"
Seemingly sensing its imminent demise, Articuno's eyes flickered with clarity amidst the chaos, yearning to struggle. Yet, it found itself firmly pinned by Metagross.
Under its desperate gaze, the Meteor Mash continued to magnify in its eyes.
"Boom!"
The fierce attack slammed into Articuno again, creating a crater over ten meters wide in the ground. At this point, the once-mighty legendary Pokémon lay motionless, unable to move.
"Articuno..." Acacia Liu muttered, her face pale, unable to believe the scene unfolding before her.
The referee stepped in to check it out, repeating the process multiple times for confirmation.
"Articuno loses combat ability. Metagross wins!"
At that moment, Metagross had successfully taken down a legendary Pokémon.
A massive cheer erupted from the audience. Countless voices chanted the names of Julian and Metagross, their excitement palpable as if they themselves had defeated Articuno.
The fall of Articuno revealed to them that even the most exalted legendary Pokémon could be defeated.
It felt akin to witnessing someone overpowering a Dragonite with sheer human strength.
This demonstration of strength, proven through action, was more motivating and convincing than any written words or books could convey.
"King Julian!"
A voice called out, and soon the crowd echoed the name.
On the live broadcast, colorful comments flooded the screen, celebrating the moment.
Julian, though not conventionally handsome, had a comfortable and cold demeanor that lent him an air of mystery.
Having reverted from Mega Evolution, Metagross emanated a powerful aura, floating quietly before Julian, who stood with his hands in his pockets, gazing upward into the bright sky.
Julian: It's f*****g hot.
In that moment, Metagross's level surged from 59 to 61, achieving a remarkable two-level jump.
With its victory over a legendary Pokémon, Metagross officially became a pseudo-Elite Pokémon.
*****
Upto 30 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/ReduxMagister