Pokémon Court-Chapter 518: Fallarbor Contest (6)

Final.

Aiko's Weavile and Yamato's Solrock faced off in the decisive battle.

The victor would earn the right to challenge Terrance, the special guest and judge of the Fallarbor Contest. The atmosphere at the venue grew tense.

"I've watched your battles. Your Solrock is indeed strong, but it's of no threat to my Weavile," Aiko said.

"We won't know that until we fight. But for the chance to battle a Top Coordinator in an official match... I can't afford to lose," Yamato replied with a grin.

From the panel of judges' platform, Terrance observed the two of them.

Mr. Fuego commented, "That Coordinator, Aiko, and Yamato—both of them have the potential to become a Top Coordinator."

Nurse Joy nodded. "What intrigues me more is that Solrock. So far, I feel like it hasn't shown its full strength."

"It's definitely still hiding something," Terrance said. "Anyone with a thorough understanding of Solrock wouldn't neglect training those abilities."

"But to become a Top Coordinator, potential alone isn't enough."

With that final remark, Terrance scrutinized them once more before falling silent. The battle began.

The three judges turned on their microphones again, refocusing on their judging duties as they observed the battle.

"Solrock, if we defeat Weavile, we'll get to battle Terrance," Yamato said.

Solrock's battle style relied on controlling flames with its telekinesis, while simultaneously attacking with Rock Throw, Rock Slide, and Stone Edge.

With the help of telekinesis, Solrock could temporarily alter the trajectory of these rock-based attacks, making it highly effective at sniping its target.

As soon as the battle began, Solrock was engulfed in flames, radiating heat like a true sun. Its sheer presence was enough to make one instinctively want to back away.

"Clever," Terrance murmured in appreciation. Calling this a "flame shield" wouldn't be an exaggeration. Thanks to Solrock's telekinesis, the flames remained entirely within its control, preventing any accident. Clearly, this was the result of extensive training.

"A Pokémon like this... with a bit of luck, he could indeed become a Top Coordinator."

Solrock was powerful, but Weavile was no pushover either. Using its unique jumping movements, Weavile continuously evaded and maneuvered around its opponent. At the same time, it took advantage of the shattered rocks left by Solrock's attacks to execute a new offensive strategy.

Fling.

Using the stones created by Solrock as projectiles for the move Fling, the stage was littered with debris. Coupled with the Fling move, Weavile actually managed to suppress Solrock's offensive with minimal energy expenditure.

"Weavile's throwing speed is incredibly fast—Solrock is being forced to divert its attention to block!" Vivian narrated from the sidelines.

With Solrock momentarily distracted, the effect of its telekinesis weakened. Seizing the opportunity, Weavile dashed across the stage, gathering a pile of stones and hurling them at high speed.

The thrown stones gleamed with a white light, enhanced with greater striking power. Even without the appeal points system in play, Solrock wouldn't dare take them head-on.

With the relentless barrage of thrown rocks, Solrock and Weavile clashed for nearly a full minute.

"Aiko is going to lose."

At a certain moment, all three judges—including Terrance—came to the same realization.

Those in the thick of battle often fail to see what outsiders can perceive clearly.

From their vantage point, the three judges noticed something different. Weavile's approach trajectory was dictated by where it picked up broken stones from the ground.

After careful observation, Terrance realized this was no coincidence. As the battle progressed, every time Solrock launched a rock-based attack, the way the debris scattered was strangely precise.

The placement of each Rock Throw wasn't the best possible position, nor was it the worst.

It allowed Weavile to keep advancing, maintaining a strong offensive pressure. This was bait. But at the same time, the density of the stones was never high enough to put Solrock in serious danger. That was the bottom line.

Considering Solrock's other unique traits, Terrance now understood—Solrock had been holding something back all along, waiting for this exact moment.

Weavile drew closer and closer. The flames surrounding Solrock had nearly dissipated, leaving only a faint layer flickering around its body. It looked to be in a dire state.

"Weavile, use Quick Attack to close in, and then use Metal Claw!" Aiko commanded loudly.

At this distance, Weavile hurled its last four stones at high speed while simultaneously darting forward.

With Solrock's capabilities, it absolutely cannot afford to be distracted. From the previous attack, Aiko had already gauged Solrock's limits.

However, just as Weavile was about to strike, Solrock suddenly began spinning at high speed. The last remnants of its flames erupted outward, and an incredibly dazzling light radiated from its body. At that moment, Weavile was blinded by the intense glare and had to halt its movements, instinctively shutting its eyes.

"One of Solrock's abilities—it can emit light as brilliant as the sun while spinning," Terrance murmured, tapping his fingers lightly against the table. As expected...

However, even with its vision impaired, Weavile could still move. Aiko remained composed. Although momentarily slowed, Weavile had already locked onto Solrock's position in its mind. No matter how blinding the light, it didn't matter. By recalling the coordinates of the stones it had thrown, Weavile adjusted its position and began maneuvering for a sneak attack.

At that moment, Yamato's voice echoed across the stage.

"Sorry, but it looks like I've won this battle."

Aiko's expression changed as she turned toward Solrock—only to see it, as if foreseeing Weavile's every move, using its telekinesis to manipulate the airborne stones.

Without wasting a single second, the rocks flew in precise formation, sealing off Weavile's escape completely.

At the same time, Solrock's body moved swiftly, flames erupting once more as it unleashed a powerful Fire Blast.

"Don't dodge the debris!" Aiko shouted urgently.

Previously, when Weavile saw the manipulated stones coming at it, it instinctively dodged to the side. But that very movement caused it to collide directly with the incoming Fire Blast.

Boom!!

A deafening explosion rang out. Engulfed by the Fire Blast, Weavile collapsed.

"Solrock's second ability—its psychic power allows it to read its opponent's thoughts." In other words, Weavile's instinctive reaction had been completely predicted...

Terrance observed the now-decided battle. This Fallarbor Contest had just produced a major upset—no one had expected Yamato to emerge victorious.

After all, back in the primary judging, he hadn't stood out much.

"Solrock... If I remember correctly, this Pokémon is extremely rare. Just as the books describe, it has an array of abilities and immense training potential." Terrance smiled slightly. With this, his opponent had been decided.

...

...

Yamato emerged as the champion of this Fallarbor Contest. During the closing ceremony, he would face Terrance in battle.

Neither the audience nor the other contestants left the venue. Everyone remained in their seats, quietly awaiting the ceremony's commencement.

The strength displayed by Yamato and Solrock was incredibly formidable. Even the fellow contestants couldn't help but be convinced by their prowess.

Being able to conceal his true abilities until the very last moment was the key to Yamato's victory. Chisana, on the other hand, had lost because he failed to keep his own strengths hidden.

"Altaria is in perfect condition. You can battle without worries." Receiving Altaria's Poké Ball from the Pokémon Center staff, Terrance nodded in thanks. Before the Fallarbor Contest began, Altaria had been undergoing training. If it weren't for the existence of the Pokémon Center, it might not have been able to fight at its peak condition.

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