Aj knew that he was going to lose, but he didn't want to lose so badly.
At the very least…
He wanted his attack to land at least once, right?
"Blaziken, use Quick Attack, then Flame Wheel!"
The Blaziken roared loudly, the flames on its back flaring violently—this was the reason for its name. It crouched low, legs coiling like springs before launching forward in a burst of speed, its body wreathed in fire as it charged.
"Swampert, prepare Hydro Pump—watch its movement!" Aoki commanded calmly.
Swampert gave a firm nod, its expression focused. No matter how confident Aoki felt, he never underestimated an opponent.
The Blaziken closed the distance rapidly, its Quick Attack amplifying its momentum. Meanwhile, a swirling sphere of water energy formed between Swampert's palms, hydrokinetic force condensing into a pressurized blast.
Seizing the moment, Blaziken's Flame Wheel ignited fully, transforming it into a blazing wheel of fire.
Swampert narrowed its eyes, tracking the fiery trajectory. Its Hydro Pump was primed and ready.
"Now—Earthquake!" Aoki's order came sharply as Blaziken neared.
Swampert had anticipated this. With a heavy stomp, the ground beneath it fractured, seismic waves rippling outward. The tremors disrupted Blaziken's charge, its speed faltering.
"Hydro Pump—fire!"
Swampert hurled the condensed water blast like a cannon shot.
Hiss—!
Steam exploded as flame met water.
"Blaziken, Overheat!" Aji shouted desperately. He needed just one clean hit.
But Aoki was already ahead.
"Swampert—Tectonic Rage!" (Earth Power + Earthquake)
This was the last of Swampert's three signature combo moves—a fusion of Earth Power and Earthquake, maximizing Ground-type devastation. Against a Fire-type like Blaziken, it was catastrophic.
Swampert's fists glowed with dense yellow energy as it lunged through the steam. It found Blaziken disoriented from the earlier attacks.
BOOM!
The dual Ground-type impact cratered the battlefield. Blaziken was buried in the rubble before it could retaliate.
The shockwave dispersed the steam, revealing a shattered arena and a fainted Blaziken in the center.
"Swampert!" Swampert bellowed in triumph—its debut battle had been a dominant success.
"Blaziken is unable to battle! The winner is Aoki of Verdanturf Town, Hoenn!" The referee's call sealed the match.
"AOKI! AOKI! AOKI!" The crowd erupted.
Aoki exchanged a respectful handshake with Aj, whose smile was strained but gracious.
Leaving the field, Aoki let Swampert bask in the cheers. Keeping it out of its Pokéball helped stabilize its energy after such an intense fight.
Back in the Hoenn trainers' lounge, congratulations poured in.
Steven, lounging on a sofa, gave an approving thumbs-up.
Others might not realize it, but Steven knew—twenty days ago, this Swampert had just evolved from a Marshtomp. For it to reach this level already? Aoki lived up to his reputation as Hoenn's "Twin Star" and its most promising Breeder.
Phoebe darted over, poking Swampert's biceps in awe.
"These are thicker than my legs!" she giggled.
Swampert flexed playfully, making her laugh harder.
Aoki rolled his eyes and joined Steven.
"That Swampert's a monster." Steven remarked.
"Says the guy with an Armaldo," Aoki shot back. "Your Anorith evolved way faster than mine."
Steven sighed. "Mine was rushed. Used some family-stocked fossils, but its foundation wasn't perfected. It'll take ages to compensate."
"Same here. Swampert's strong, but not peak yet. Still, we can fix that," Aoki said.
Steven brightened. "Right—you're the breeding prodigy. Think you could help tune up my Armaldo? And maybe my Metagross?"
Aoki smirked. "If you're paying."
The matches continued. Though Swampert's Tectonic Rage had wrecked the arena, the League had backups.
Today's early rounds used standard fields. Later, specialized terrains (volcanic, oceanic, etc.) would unlock. With thousands of trainers competing, efficiency was key.
Satisfied, Aoki and Steven left to prepare for their next battles.