c8: Battle Against Champion Metagross
"Solgaleo, initiate spiritual resonance!" Chen Xiaoxiao's entire form surged with shimmering azure light, establishing a direct psychic tether to Solgaleo. A radiant pulse echoed between them as his mental energy fused with the legendary Pokémon, causing Solgaleo's aura to intensify and elevate its power dramatically.
Solgaleo
Gender: Genderless
Level: Level 76 (Peak Elite) ➝ Level 86 (Champion Intermediate via psychic boost)
Type: Steel / Psychic
Nature: Brave (+Attack, -Speed)
Abilities:
Brain Core Power (custom): Boosts the power of "Excellent" moves by 25%.
Prism Armor (canon): Reduces damage from super-effective moves by 25%.
Held Items:
Twisted Spoon: Boosts Psychic-type moves by 20%.
Metal Coat: Boosts Steel-type moves by 20%.
Classification: Legendary Pokémon (High-tier stats and resistances)
"Solgaleo, cast Sunny Day!" Chen Xiaoxiao commanded with urgency. Even though Solgaleo's level had temporarily breached into Champion-tier thanks to the spiritual fusion, there remained a numerical and experiential gap. He needed to shift the battlefield to Solgaleo's favor.
Solgaleo let out a resonant roar as its eyes gleamed like twin suns. A blinding light erupted from above the mountain-ringed battlefield, and within moments, an artificial sun glowed brightly over a one-kilometer radius. This enhanced the power of Fire-type moves and also supported Solgaleo's Morning Sun for regeneration—a critical tactical move.
However, Metagross, a Champion-level Pokémon with advanced AI-level combat logic, swiftly recognized the intent. It fired off a Confusion, aiming to destabilize Solgaleo's concentration and cancel the weather-altering technique. This suggested that Metagross's internal calculations did not fully account for Solgaleo's Legendary resistances.
Through their spiritual synchronization, Chen Xiaoxiao anchored Solgaleo's mental state, allowing it to resist the Confusion. Due to Solgaleo's Steel typing, it possessed a quadruple resistance to Psychic attacks Steel resisting Psychic and Psychic resisting itself. As a result, the Confusion attack barely scratched its armor.
Metagross, equipped with its signature quad-processor brain, immediately adjusted its combat routine. Analyzing the failure, it recognized Solgaleo as a high-resistance target and shifted to physical offense. It activated Agility, boosting its speed to the extreme, and launched a Meteor Mash, a Steel-type move with high base power and a chance to increase Attack.
Glinting silver claws struck through the air, trailing comet-like stardust. The move was executed with pinpoint accuracy true to a Champion's precision.
"Solgaleo, Teleport reposition behind it then Flare Blitz!" Chen Xiaoxiao barked. His strategy hinged on synchronized vision. While Solgaleo couldn't see behind Metagross, Chen could from the front due to their shared perception.
Solgaleo vanished instantly, then reappeared behind Metagross, its leonine form wreathed in searing flames. Flare Blitz, empowered under the Sunny Day and boosted by Solgaleo's sheer Attack stat and the Brave nature, exploded forward in a rush of heat and fury.
Metagross sensed the temperature spike and danger behind it just as the attack was unleashed. Though its systems warned it too late for a complete dodge, Metagross made a Champion-caliber improvisation. It slammed its Meteor Mash into the ground, kicking up debris and using the recoil to hurl itself slightly forward, blurring its exact position within the dust cloud.
But Chen Xiaoxiao anticipated this. With spiritual syncing, Solgaleo followed the real Metagross through shared vision. "Skill output amplify by 45%!" he commanded.
The empowered Flare Blitz struck Metagross directly in the rear plating, bypassing its core defenses. Because it was a direct back strike and caught mid-transition, it qualified as a critical hit with excellent effectiveness. Flames erupted in all directions. Unfortunately, the secondary burn effect didn't proc a missed opportunity that could have ended the match early.
"Solgaleo, Fire Blast then recover with Morning Sun!" Chen Xiaoxiao followed up without pause. The wide cone of Fire Blast would suppress movement and give Solgaleo space to recover from Flare Blitz's recoil damage.
Despite the blow it had just taken, Metagross didn't falter. A Champion in form and programming, it steadied itself, roared with mechanical fury, and smashed apart the Fire Blast with a reinforced Hammer Arm, absorbing minimal residual damage. Then it reared back, slamming its other foreleg down in a controlled Earthquake attack a full-force Ground-type move with battlefield-wide effect.
"Solgaleo, counter with Earthquake!" Chen Xiaoxiao countered.
The twin seismic waves collided mid-arena with monumental force, shaking the mountain square and sending up rock shards and plumes of dust. The Champion-tier clash had begun in earnest raw power versus mental synergy, steel against sun.
With the blazing Fire Blast serving as a fiery curtain ahead,
Observing Metagross initiating Earthquake, Chen Xiaoxiao, feeling confident, chose not to have Solgaleo levitate using Psychic. Instead, he commanded, "Solgaleo, counter with Earthquake!"
Solgaleo roared, mirroring Metagross's action, and unleashed its own seismic force upon the battlefield.
Suddenly, the ground quaked violently between the two titans, their combined Earthquake attacks magnifying the tremors' intensity.
Boom! The resulting shockwave caused both Pokémon to sustain minor injuries from the reverberating force.
"Shanai! (This is getting chaotic, Xiaoxiao.)"
At that moment, Gardevoir, stationed nearby, voiced her concern and swiftly approached Chen Xiaoxiao, deploying Protect to shield them from the residual tremors. Fortunately, it was merely the aftermath; a direct hit from a Champion-level Earthquake would have been overwhelming for an Elite Primary Gardevoir.
"Solgaleo, launch Flamethrower!"
A stream of intense flames erupted from Solgaleo's maw, targeting Metagross directly.
With limited options to evade, Metagross activated Protect, forming a shimmering barrier that absorbed the fiery assault. Seizing the momentary lull, Metagross retaliated with Bullet Punch, a swift Steel-type move. A barrage of metallic fists surged toward Solgaleo.
Caught in a transitional phase where its newly harnessed power hadn't fully regenerated, and its previous energy was depleted, Solgaleo found itself unable to dodge or counteract the onslaught.
Chen Xiaoxiao had no alternative but to let Solgaleo endure the attack. Thankfully, Solgaleo's Steel typing granted it resistance to Steel-type moves, mitigating the damage. Concurrently, Chen Xiaoxiao subtly instructed Solgaleo to prepare Stockpile, awaiting the opportune moment.
Solgaleo bent its legs, shifting its center of gravity backward, feigning significant damage from the Bullet Punch.
Metagross, perceiving an opening, advanced rapidly, raising its forearm to deliver a powerful Hammer Arm.
Now was the moment!
"Solgaleo, Flare Blitz!"
Contrary to appearances, Solgaleo's crouched stance wasn't a result of the Bullet Punch's impact but a deliberate setup. At Chen Xiaoxiao's command, Solgaleo's body ignited with scorching flames, and it charged directly into Metagross's incoming Hammer Arm.
Boom!
"Solgaleo, harness the lingering flames and execute Fire Blast!"
Capitalizing on the explosive aftermath that propelled both Pokémon backward, Chen Xiaoxiao issued his next directive.
The residual flames coalesced into a formidable fireball, which Solgaleo launched at the airborne Metagross, now vulnerable and unable to maneuver effectively.
Boom!
The attack was super effective!
Metagross, struck once more, finally succumbed, its eyes spiraling as it lost consciousness.
A series of notifications echoed in Chen Xiaoxiao's mind, indicating the substantial experience gained from defeating a Champion-level Pokémon. Eagerly, he accessed the system interface.
Solgaleo
Gender: Genderless
Level: 76 → 77 (Elite Peak)
Type: Steel/Psychic
Nature: Brave (↑Attack, ↓Speed)
Ability: Brain Core Power (Enhances moves with excellent effects by 25%)
Hidden Ability: Prism Armor (Reduces damage from super-effective moves by 25%)
Held Items:
Twisted Spoon (Boosts Psychic-type move power by 20%)
Metal Coat (Boosts Steel-type move power by 20%)
Classification: Legendary Level
Gardevoir
Gender: Female
Level: 65 → 67 (Elite Intermediate)
Type: Psychic/Fairy
Nature: Modest (↑Special Attack, ↓Attack)
Ability: Synchronize (Transfers status conditions to the opponent)
Hidden Ability: Telepathy
Held Item: Twisted Spoon (Boosts Psychic-type move power by 20%)
Classification: Champion Level (Indicates potential growth and faster progression)
Sun Pokémon
Gender: Female
Level: 59 → 62 (Elite Primary)
Type: Psychic
Nature: Modest (↑Special Attack, ↓Attack)
Ability: Adaptability (Increases same-type attack bonus from 50% to 100%)
Hidden Ability: Magic Bounce (Reflects certain status moves back to the user)
Held Item: Twisted Spoon (Boosts Psychic-type move power by 20%)
Classification: Champion Level
"Excellent work, Solgaleo!" Chen Xiaoxiao exclaimed joyfully, rushing to his partner's side.
Solgaleo lowered its head, affectionately nuzzling Chen Xiaoxiao, eyes gleaming with contentment.
"Hehe!"
While the battle might have appeared one-sided in Solgaleo's favor, the true advantage lay in the disparity of information and the bond between trainer and Pokémon. Metagross, unfamiliar with Solgaleo, lacked the strategic depth that a trained Pokémon possesses. In contrast, Chen Xiaoxiao's intimate knowledge of Metagross's capabilities allowed him to exploit its weaknesses effectively.
Moreover, Solgaleo's diverse move set, honed under Chen Xiaoxiao's guidance, provided a tactical edge. Metagross, being wild, relied solely on instinct and inherent abilities, lacking the versatility that comes from structured training.
"Gardevoir, please use Heal Pulse on Metagross."
(Note: The Sun Pokémon's original ability was Synchronize, but the protagonist modified it to Adaptability using an Ability Modification Card.)
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