Pokémon: I picked up a reborn Eevee at the start of the game.

He had wanted to say Dorgonmesia, but the possibility was too small, so he couldn't bring himself to say it.

However, a bold conjecture came to his mind.

Is it possible that Xia Chen's starting Pokémon will be .Gulerton?

In this crucial game, with a strong opponent and Darkrai already on the field, it seems quite possible that Leighton could also play!

Unlike some ordinary bystanders who weren't even sure if Gu Leton was in Xia Chen's hands, he wasn't just a casual observer.

If you don't even know this information, you might as well not sit in the position of one of the Four Heavenly Kings.

The more Da Ye thought about it, the more likely this situation seemed, so he confidently stated his final choice: "To go to Guleton!"

After a long silence, Adek finally spoke: "Alright, I acknowledge your determination. So be it. With tens of millions of viewers watching, that's the best proof. I'll accept your volcanic stone!"

Although Da Ye was still a little weak, he couldn't let his spirits wane. He raised his head and chest and retorted, "Heh, I'll take good care of the Burning Worm!"

Both of them seemed to have overlooked one possibility: what if Xia Chen's starting Pokémon wasn't even among those six Pokémon?

For example, Doronchi

…………

In any world, people love to watch the drama unfold, and the playful yet serious bet between top trainers Alder and Daenerys quickly spread.

If we say it's a joke, their conversation doesn't seem like they were speaking in a serious state, but if we say it's serious, the bets and notarization have been arranged, so it doesn't seem like a joke either.

Thus, the bet was made.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Xia Chen and Da Wu stepped onto the battlefield.

This is not only a match that will determine who enters tomorrow's final, but also who will win the prized possessions of the Vulcan moth larvae and the volcanic stone, two priceless treasures.

Unaware of the situation, Xia Chen and Daigo simultaneously threw their Poké Balls after the referee blew the whistle.

Two white lights flashed, and the spirit in front of Daigo was none other than Skarmory.

In front of Xia Chen was a seemingly adorable but somewhat dazed elf, Doronki!

Adek: "."

Da Ye: "."

Chapter 287 You're completely unpredictable in your battles, aren't you? ( )

The appearance of Draco silenced both the former Unova Champion and the current Sinnoh Elite Four member.

Adek and Daye racked their brains but never expected that Xia Chen's final choice for his starting Pokémon would be something like this.

No, Xia Chen, do you even understand Pokémon battles?!

In a gym-level battle against an opponent of Steven's caliber, you're starting with a Dragapult in its second form?

How much do you look down on Daigo!

The two of them were currently internally ranting about Xia Chen's unexpected choice.

In contrast to the silent commentary booth, the live broadcast room was filled with laughter.

"Hilarious! Their analysis was fierce, but the result was shocking! Neither of them guessed correctly. This is going to be funny!"

"To be honest, this starting Pokémon is a bit unexpected. Dragapult is such a jerk, can it even beat Metagross? You should evolve it to level 1 first before coming here!"

"Is Xia Chen playing a match or just training? Is he really that arrogant? Using a Pokémon that hasn't even completed its final evolution to fight Daigo?"

"It's reasonable to suspect that Xia Chen was watching the live stream before he went on stage. He didn't even guess the six out of eight correctly. Is it really just a coincidence?"

"Here's the problem: neither Adek nor Daye guessed correctly. What happens to the bet? Does it end in a draw?"

"I suggest you give it to me. I'm not picky; I'll take either a Pokémon egg or a Volcanic Stone!"

"Dream on! Even if they gave it to Xia Chen, they wouldn't give it to you. At least Xia Chen beat both of them, lol."

"Hey, if this were a casino, the house would usually win. Since they're using Xia Chen as the betting option, does that mean Xia Chen is the house?"

"Send Xia Chen away! Send Xia Chen away! Send Xia Chen away!"

A group of viewers who were just enjoying the spectacle were completely uninterested in the competition and were discussing the ownership of the two bets.

As a commentator, Adek couldn't just act recklessly. He glanced at the comments and said with a wry smile, "Alright, we'll talk about the bets later. Let's turn our attention back to the match."

At this moment, the battle between the two elves had already begun on the battlefield.

…………

"Armor bird, Saling!"

Although Daigo was somewhat surprised by Xia Chen's choice to start Dorgon, he quickly adjusted his mindset.

In battle, he, like his Metagross, is a meticulous, emotionless fighting machine.

Whether Xia Chen starts or not, he won't care. He will only stick to his own style, stick to his own way of playing, and seize the weaknesses that his opponents show.

This is his way of being a trainer!

"Doraki, Dragon Dance!"

Xia Chen's response made Daigo raise an eyebrow. What did this dragon dance mean?

Putting aside the fact that Skarmory has a knockback ability that can force Dragapult off the field, all the boosting moves they've made so far are pointless.

Even if Xia Chen was confident that he could make Doronki use the Spirit Strike to dodge the blow-away attack, Skarmory's physical defense was far stronger than its special defense!

Instead of going through all the trouble of using Dragon Dance to gradually increase attack power, wouldn't it be more practical to just use a 100,000 Volt or Thunder?

No matter how you look at it, Dragon Dance is the worst choice among all the moves.

But Xia Chen couldn't possibly be unaware of these things.

Therefore, this dragon dance must have a special purpose!

Daigo's gaze sharpened; he sensed that things weren't so simple.

But for the time being, he couldn't figure out Xia Chen's purpose in doing so, so he could only continue playing at his own pace.

Poison darts were already scattered around Doronchi's surroundings and then disappeared into the air. Meanwhile, Doronchi and Doronmesia above his head also completed their dragon dance.

Goodness, these two, one big and one small, are even doing a dragon dance together. Is their special characteristic parental love?

Daigo silently complained to himself, but verbally commanded, "Skeleton, charge! Steel Wing!"

He certainly wouldn't use the formulaic method of scattering diamonds followed by blowing them away, because if his opponent dodged it with a stealthy attack, he'd be done for.

The prudent approach is to wait until you are close to the two Pokémon before unleashing your attack, catching Dragapult off guard.

Moreover, what the Skarmory is most proud of is its powerful defense.

Close-quarters combat, drawing the opponent into one's most advantageous territory—this is Daigo's most fundamental strategy.

…………

The armored bird, hovering in mid-air, spread its steel wings and emitted a sharp cry.

Its sharp eyes were like those of an eagle intently watching its prey. Suddenly, its wings flapped, and the armored bird began to swoop down.

Skarmory isn't actually that fast; it's slower than Dragapult before it evolved into its final form, let alone Dragapult after Dragon Dance.

But Xia Chen still dared not let his guard down, after all, this was Daigo's spirit.

He commanded in a deep voice, "Doronchi, be careful."

Xia Chen did not use any specific moves to command Duolongqi. Due to the [Dragon-Controlling Power] he obtained on Dragon Island and the wonderful reaction of his existing superpowers, there was a magical synergy between him and Duolongqi.

Although it's not as exaggerated as Ash and Greninja's telepathic connection in the anime, it still allows Xia Chen to convey his thoughts to Doraki.

The specific moves Xia Chen was thinking about were what Duolongqi's body was doing.

In the afternoon sunlight, the armored bird's silvery-white wings, sharp as blades, gleamed with a deadly luster.

That was Daigo's favorite move, the sharp edge of steel wings.

With its two wings gleaming brightly, the armored bird continued to accelerate, flying towards the direction of Doronchi.

Doronchi made no move, but Doronmesia on his head was the first to separate from him, looking as if he was deserting in the face of battle.

The Skarmory ignored it; it was just a Draco Mesia, and although its color was a bit strange, it probably didn't pose any threat.

A cold glint flashed in its eyes, and its sharp gaze fixed on Doronchi's body.

This wing must be fatal!

A silver meteor streaked across the sky. At the end of its trajectory, Doronchi narrowed his sharp eyes slightly, and the energy that had been accumulating within him suddenly erupted.

The bright sky suddenly darkened, followed by the deafening roar of thunder and lightning, with flashes of electricity illuminating the not-so-dense clouds.

Immediately, a thunder dragon burst forth from the dark clouds, roaring as it crashed down, striking directly at the armored bird that was making its final sprint.

…………

"Thunder! Dragapult used a special move after Dragon Dance, Thunder! Although this makes it even more difficult to understand Xia Chen's idea for commanding Dragon Dance, this Thunder is quite effective against Skarmory, which has low Special Defense and is weak to Electric-type moves!"

"In its final sprint, Skarmory had no chance to avoid the Thunderstrike, which hit precisely and dealt extremely high damage. However, Skarmory, with its unwavering will, did not waver in the slightest and charged! Steel Wing hit Dragapult! The damage was also very high. It seems that this Dragapult does not have the strength of a Gym Leader and its overall level is slightly inferior. Wait, this round of battle is not over yet. That is Dragapult!"

Amidst Da Ye's exclamation, Dorgonmesia, who had previously "deserted in the face of battle," suddenly turned back. Its small body shone with an orange-red light, making it look like a small missile full of kinetic energy.

By the time Skarmory noticed this opponent it had ignored, Doronmesia had already darted to its side with an astonishing amount of energy.

boom--

The sound of pure energy explosion resounded throughout the entire venue, even surpassing the sound of the thunderclap from Doronchi just now.

Daigo looked stunned. Could such power really be unleashed by a Dragapult Messiah?

He had no time to think about the problem anymore, so he quickly commanded, "Armored Bird, Roost!"

The two consecutive attacks left Skarmory slightly injured. Roost not only helps it recover its stamina, but also has another important function—

That means temporarily removing Skarmory's Flying type, preventing Electric-type moves like Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt from dealing double the super-effective damage.

It must be said that Daigo is quite meticulous. Even in the fast-paced battlefield, he can still come up with such a move in the blink of an eye.

However, he was facing a guy who didn't play by the rules at all.

As soon as the armored bird landed and began to release its roost, it heard Xia Chen's strange command: "Doraki, use Spirit Sneak Attack!"

Daigo was completely bewildered. What was all this about?