Pokémoal (Steel)

  Level: 63

  Potential: Purple

  Ability: Iron Fist

  Held Item: Bck Belt

  Gender: Genderless

  Moves: Harden, Thunder Shock, Headbutt, Charge Beam, Giga Impact, Thunder Punch, Acid Armor, Fsh on, Thunder Wave, Dynamich, Protect

  TMs: Ice Punch, Hyper Beam, Thunder Punch, Thunderbolt, Brick Break, Electric Terrain, Brutal Swing, Thrash, Body Sm, Ice Beam, Darkest Lariat, Heavy Sm

  Geic Moves: None

  ---

  Though Melmetal is a Steel-type Pokémon, its Iron Fist ability increases the power of pung moves by 20%. This is why it holds a Bck Belt to further boost Fighting-type moves.

  With the Iron Fist ability and the Bck Belt bined, its punches hit with incredible power—few Pokémon could withstand a single blow.

  Sis level isn't high enough, it hasn't yet lears signature move, Double Iron Bash.

  Carter was dumbfounded. After defeating Max, he had expected to face Julian and his Metagross eventually. He had even devised numerous strategies in preparation for this battle.

  As a data-driven trainer, Carter had spent the entire night studyiagross—its moves, battle style, and habits. He thought he had prepared thhly.

  But then... Julian didn't even send out Metagross. Instead, he released a pletely new Pokémon—a Mythical Pokémon no less!

  A new Pokémo there was ernal data on it at all. Carter didn't know its moves, its ability, or its battle style.

  This sense of the unknown was utterly frustrating for Carter, who was used to trolling every variable in a fight. It was like being force-fed something unpleasant.

  Sitting on the bench, Max noticed Carter's stipated expression and couldn't help but grin widely.

  With the referee's whistle, the match officially began.

  The spectators stopped chatting and turheir full attention to Melmetal. A new Mythical Pokémon had appeared, and they were among the first to witness it.

  A subtle sense of pride bubbled within them.

  "Aerodactyl, Mega Evolve!"

  Carter didn't dare to hold back, immediately anding his Aerodactyl to Mega Evolve.

  After his match against Max, Carter had celed Aerodactyl's Mega Evolution to serve stamina and focus, saving the sed use for his anticipated battle against Julian's Metagross.

  Now, instead of Metagross, he faced Melmetal—a Pokémon he found even more troublesome.

  Of course, his judgment was slightly off. While Melmetal was no matetagross, its strength came sed only to it.

  Mega Aerodactyl appeared on the field.

  "Dynamich," Julian anded.

  At that moment, Melmetal stood about 100 meters from Mega Aerodactyl, who was h in the air.

  Carter thought Melmetal would close the distance by running and jumping, which would naturally give Mega Aerodactyl opportuo dodge or terattack.

  But the sed, Carter saw Melmetal rotate its arm in a full circle, and suddenly, as if it were made of rubber, its arm stretched out in an instant.

  (T/N: Gomu Gomu No....)

  The Dynamibsp;tore through the air, its forehat a white shockwave formed around its fist.

  Mega Aerodactyl realized it was too te to dodge. It hastily used Protect.

  "Bang!!!"

  The Dynamibsp;smashed into the protective barrier with such force that the surrounding air seemed to tremble.

  Carter had barely breathed a sigh of relief when the Protebsp;shattered into pieces. The Dynamich, carrying incredible momentum, struck Mega Aerodactyl squarely on the face.

  The diamond-hard stone on Mega Aerodactyl's face cracked uhe impact of the punch.

  With Melmetal's Iron Fist ability bined with the Bck Belt, the attack's power was nothing short of terrifying.

  Had the Protebsp;not absorbed some of the power, that single punch would have left Mega Aerodactyl g for its mother.

  Even so, the punch left Mega Aerodactyl dazed.

  Amid the haze, it vaguely heard its trainer shouting frantically.

  Melmetal's body, posed of flowing liquid metal, gra excellent flexibility aension.

  After delivering the Dynamibsp;with its left arm, its right arm followed suit, readying another Dynamich.

  While Mega Aerodactyl struggled to shake off its dizziness, the sed punch closed in rapidly.

  "Use Protect quickly!"

  Carter yelled, seeing his Pokémon still shaking its dazed head, oblivious to the ining attack. His voice was filled with desperation.

  Of all the moves, Protebsp;required the least amount of time to activate, though whether Mega Aerodactyl could respond in time was another matter.

  'Sed Protect, heh'

  Julian sneered.

  But in the moment, that smirk froze on his face.

  Somehow, despite its dizziness, Mega Aerodactyl seemed to have heard Carter's and and instinctively used Protect. To Julian's disbelief, it successfully executed the move.

  Since his debut, Julian's Pokémon had never mao pull off a sed Protebsp;in a row. His infamous reputation for bad luck with this move was well-known.

  And nht before his eyes, someone had pulled it off fwlessly.

  This really felt like a sp to his face.

  "Crush it for me!" Julian roared, his voice ced with jealousy and frustration.

  Melmetal, feeling equally insulted, furiously swung its massive arm.

  The sed Dynamibsp;hit, shattering the Protebsp;once again. The punded on the same spot as before, smming into Mega Aerodactyl's already damaged cheek.

  This time, Mega Aerodactyl couldn't hold on any longer. Its body fell out of the sky, plummeting toward the ground.

  "Finish it, Fsh on!"

  The hexagonal nut oal's chest glowed intensely before unleashing a brilliant silver-white beam of light. The beam struck the falling Mega Aerodactyl with pinpoint accuracy.

  With a thunderous explosion, Mega Aerodactyl was sent flying through the air. As it tumbled away, its Mega Evolution form dissipated.

  "Bang!!"

  Aerodactyl crashed onto the ground, boung several times before ing to a stop.

  "Aerodactyl is uo battle. Melmetal wins!" the referee decred.

  Ae-level Mega Aerodactyl, defeated so decisively by the Mythical Pokémoal—aal wasn't even at Elite-level itself.

  "Are Mythical Pokémon really this strong? It only took three moves to take down ae-level Mega Aerodactyl," Lisa muttered, still in disbelief.

  Jose, standing nearby, didn't boast about Imperial Uy's victory this time. Instead, he wore a serious expression as he expined, "The key to winning was that Carter wasn't familiar with Melmetal. He didn't anticipate its incredible flexibility and range."

  "Melmetal's punches are like Hitmonlee's kicks—but in terms of read flexibility, Melmetal's arms are eveer than Hitmonlee's legs."

  "And I suspect Melmetal's legs—or even its entire body— also stretch just like its arms," Jose added thoughtfully.

  He wasn't wrong. Carter had been caught off guard because he cked knowledge about Melmetal.

  If he had known about Melmetal's remarkable malleability and range, his Mega Aerodactyl could have evaded the punches.

  Without a direct hit, the entire course of the battle could have ged.