Uhe crushing power of Meteor Mash, the Protebsp;barrier shattered almost instantly, only a fleeting moment of defeill, that brief window allowed Samence a ce to resist.
Although the opportunity was slim, Samence was Owen's aon—it was at the peak of pseudo-Elite, capable of challenging evee-level oppos.
As the Meteor Mash struck from behind, Samence's vulnerable back offered no immediate way to retaliate. Its wings, arms, and head were all poorly positioo ter the attack.
In a swift move, Samewisted its body, bringing its white abdomen shell to bear the attack, hoping to absorb the blow.
This white shell had once covered its entire body during its evolution as a Shelgon. Upon evolving into Samehe shell trated on its abdomen, serving as prote for its softer underbelly.
For many Pokémon with exposed abdomens, the belly is often a critical oint. Some are shielded by tough scales, others by yers of fat, or at least thick fur.
"Boom!!"
Meteor Mash struck Samence's abdomen shell with tremendous force, unleashing a shockwave upon impact. The sheer power sent Samence hurtling to the ground like a meteorite.
The battlefield's surface caved in, f a crater four to five meters deep and dozens of meters wide.
Samence was lying at the ter of the crater, its abdominal shell was rgely shattered, with fragments scattered around. Despite its injuries, it struggled to stand up.
Above, Metagross hovered menagly, its silver fleaming with an intense light.
In Samence's defiant roar, Fsh on was fired, engulfing it pletely.
"Samence is uo battle! Metagross wins!" the referee decred.
A csh of the Top Five; a pseudo-legendary against another, a 4th-year against a freshman.
Ahe 4th-year Owen had suffered a crushi.
Recalling Samence, Owe Julian, unwilling to believe the oute. He asked bitterly, "Why does your Metagross know Teleport?"
If not for that ued opening move, Samence might still have lost, but it wouldn't have been such a swift and humiliati.
It was a question on the minds of many experts as well.
Teleport, while a Psychic-type move, is learned by only a select few Psychion—like Abra and Ralts.
Pokémon that use Teleport are notoriously difficult to capture. If they sense dahey escape instantly, leaving Trainers with no way to track them.
While some Pokémon learn Teleport through TMs, others aster it even with this method.
Metagross was one suoe being part Psychic-type, it is ily incapable of learning Teleport, even via TM.
Metagross reproduces asexually through division, which elimihe possibility of iing Teleport geically.
The Walker family had been breediagross for nearly 200 years, yet not a single one had leareleport.
Now, Julian's Metagross had miraculously broken this turies-old barrier.
In the livestream, tless Pokémon researchers eagerly awaited Julian's expnation. If the reasoagross had leareleport was due to something Julian did, he could easily earn a nomination for year's Arceus Award, perhaps even winning it.
"My Metagross is a genius—it just figured it out on its own," Julian said fidently.
The fact that Metagross could use Teleport would eventually bee publiowledge, so why not reveal it sooner and freely use the move in full view of everyone?
--
Meanwhile, at home;
Julian's father, Jake, sat watg the livestream. Upon hearing Julian's response, he froze for a moment, then a sense of familiarity washed over him, his expression growing strange.
It wasn't the first time he'd heard su expnation.
When Julian had obtaihe Dratini egg, he cimed he had "found it by ce." When he awakened his Psychic abilities—at Intermediate Level, no less—he said it happened after he took a nap.
And now Metagross learning Teleport? The expnation: "It's a genius; self-taught."
--
The livestream chat erupted:
"6666, First Slowpoke gets a new evolution and now Metagross self-learns Teleport."
"Metagross: When it es to intelligehe rest of you are trash."
"Why do I feel like he's lying?"
"I just smacked my Drowzee twid told it to learn Teleport. Now I'm dangling out of my 15th-floor window thanks to Psychiyone knows if the fall will kill me?"
"Not sure about the 15th floor, but I fell from the 13th. Broke 52 bones but survived. Still typing with my one w finger."
Some viewers believed Julian, some doubted him, and others were simply enjoying the chaos.
But some professional schors asserted that Julian's expnation might hold some truth.
Metagross' brain was more advahan a superputer, and its intelligence far surpassed that of most humans.
Perhaps Julian's Metagross was a on-a-geion genius among its kind, with an intellect so extraordinary that it could indeed self-learn Teleport.
Among the barrage of ents, a golden, officially verified ID suddenly appeared, standing out with bold, eext:
"Elite Walker: My grandson has the makings of a Champion."
In the past, these words were only circuted among a few high-level trainers, but now, millions of izens in Drakoria will know it.
Fortunately, Julian couldn't see it. Otherwise, he'd surely experiehe agony of sedhand embarrassment.
The other ents instantly vanished as tless "My grandson has the makings of a Champion" messages flooded the s.
And just like that, Julian gained millions of "grandpas" online.
Upon seeing the flood of ents, John himself was momentarily stuhen, he burst into hearty ugh.
--
The match tinued.
On the Modu Academy side, the sed challenger wasted no time. Without saying a word, he tossed his Poké Ball into the air.
A Dragonite appeared, its rge frame h mid-air.
Julian g its belly, 'It's not as fat as my Dragonite's.'
'Sure enough, my Dragonite is ht after all.'
Dragonite, Level 70, another Pokémon at the peak of pseudo-Elite.
Iop Five Uies, most 4th-year students had Pokémon at pseudo-Elite level. The most exceptional among them often reached the peak of pseudo-Elite.
This was why the Hundred Schools League primarily featured 4th-years. Even 3rd-years were rare, let alone a sophomore or freshmen.
For Julian to pete as a freshman was already a remarkable feat. Defeating a 4th-year from Modu Academy only elevated his aplishment to another level.
Owen, who hailed from the prestigious Drake family—a family no less promihan the Walker family—had been soundly defeated by Julian. He couldn't even put up a fight, highlighting the gap in their strength.
Ba the waiting area, Owen sat with a dark expression. His loss wasn't just a blow to his uy's reputation but also a disgrace to the Drake family.
What made it worse was how quickly he'd lost.
He hadn't even had a ce to redeem himself. Instead, he had been reduced to nothing more than a backdrop for Julian aagross.
