Pokémon from Galar

Is Emperor Dan here as well?

Mary raised an eyebrow, a bad feeling creeping into her heart.

Stepping out of the elevator, Mary approached, but her gaze fell on Chairman Rose, who was still dressed in a suit and tie, but his left arm was bandaged and fixed to his chest.

"You've arrived, Contestant Mary."

"President Lotz, what's going on...?"

"He got a minor injury, but it's nothing serious."

Mary nodded noncommittally. No wonder President Loz didn't attend the opening ceremony; his arm injury certainly made him unsuitable to host.

"Alright, now that Mary has arrived, it's time for her to make an explanation."

Dante stood to the side, staring at Loz with a rather serious expression, which intensified Mary's bad premonition.

"What would you like to drink? There are drinks in the freezer over there. Let me think about where to start explaining... Mary is still confused, isn't she?"

Pointing to a large freezer next to him, President Rose still wore the same smile as always.

Dandi sighed, reached into the freezer, and took out three boxes of juice, handing them over.

"Thank you."

Mary tactfully thanked him and waited silently for him to continue. President Rose, holding the cardboard box, spoke:

"Let me start with the injury on my hand. A few days ago, I was attacked by a three-man team. They were very experienced; they were the Rockets."

"..."

Mary paused for a moment, then subconsciously looked at Dan Di, and received a silent nod in return.

"Don't worry, I did it on purpose. Remember the investigation into the Rockets that's been going on for over two months? Actually, there has been progress. We've identified specific targets, but we just haven't taken action yet."

"Why? Shouldn't the evidence be sufficient?"

"Because there are still things that need to be done by them."

Lorze's tone was as usual, but it made Mary shudder involuntarily.

"Wait...you're not going to talk about Dynamax, are you?"

Surprised, Mary forgot to use the honorific title and simply looked directly at Chairman Loz, seeking an answer.

"It seems that contestant Mary is very quick-witted. Not bad. Dark Night is one of the ways to solve the future Galar energy crisis. With the energy consumption increasing year by year, Galar's enormous energy can no longer last for hundreds of years."

"Gallar is the culmination of my life's work. I cannot stand idly by and watch it decline in the future. I want to pave the way for Gallar's future with my own hands."

"But I can't understand why you have to use such an extreme method. You... it's not the right time yet."

Faced with Dan's questioning, President Rose met the champion's eyes without flinching.

"Dan Di, you don't really like the champion's position, do you? I can see it; how long has it been since you smiled?"

"..."

Silence fell over the room. Mary pondered for a moment, recalling the plot from her memory, and suddenly realized a key point, exclaiming:

"Wait a minute—Chairman Rose, are you planning to pave the way for Dante?"

Mary sensed something was wrong as soon as she finished speaking; both Rhodes and Dante's gazes fell on her at the same time.

"Oh? Tell me about it?"

President Loz pressed on with great interest.

"Um... I was just guessing..."

"It's alright, go ahead and tell me."

Not only Loz, but even Dante became interested, curious about how much Mary had guessed.

"Hmm... I guess the reason Team Rocket acted suddenly was because you deliberately leaked some information, Chairman? Was it about Night Elf or Sword and Shield? In any case, it attracted those people to go all in, and they probably even stole the data."

"Let them trigger the darkness, and the Rockets, whose tracks have already been exposed, can prepare an arrest plan in advance. At the same time, Chairman Rose will resign due to dereliction of duty, allowing Dant to take over, and the championship will be awarded to the one who stands out this year."

“That’s good, but I hope you, Mary, will take over the championship position. You are more suitable for this position than I thought.”

Despite President Loz's praise, Mary wasn't very happy and continued stiffly:

"But—Team Rocket wouldn't do something so reckless. Considering the intelligence issues, with Eternatus being unstoppable after its resurrection and only Sword and Shield able to turn the tide, they'll definitely be targeting Yuri and Hop, right? Not only that, once Dark Night is activated, it will inevitably trigger a crisis of Pokémon siege."

Just after Mary began her questioning, Dante reached out and patted Mary on the shoulder, saying:

"Regarding this, ten, no, eleven Gym Leaders can definitely protect the city, and Yuri and Hop are not weak either, plus Sonia is also there. At least there shouldn't be too much of a problem with safety."

"What do you mean there won't be too much of a problem?! If Team Rocket really intends to take action, it certainly won't stop at this level. The allure of Eternatus and Sword & Shield isn't just empty talk! If another Apollo-level executive comes, or even if Giovanni comes in person, Yuri—"

"Calm down, Mary!"

Dan interrupted Mary's increasingly agitated speech, looking down at her face, which was slightly flushed from her erratic breathing, and said with a smile:

“Yuri is definitely not just a trainer of this level. Your concern is making things complicated.”

Just as Mary couldn't help but say something, President Rose suddenly added:

“Mary is actually right, so I plan to ask that person from the Isle of Armor to come out of retirement again. I think that person will agree to my request for Galar’s ​​last intractable problem.”

Chapter 387 The Official Showdown Between Mary and Nie Zi

Mary and Nie Zi's first-round match was scheduled for the last game, so when it was Mary's turn to appear on the third day, all the other qualifiers, including Onio who had a bye, had already been determined.

Yuri defeated Lurina, while Hep eliminated the fourth contestant to emerge victorious. In the other matches, Aya eliminated Maga, Chibana eliminated Yaro, and Kawu defeated Miyo.

Now it's Mary and Nie Zi's turn to compete for the ticket to the next round.

They gazed at each other across the arena, neither uttering a word, but they smiled at each other, both feeling a sense of感慨 (gan3 kai3, a complex emotion encompassing both feelings and reflection). Nie Zi hadn't expected his younger sister to stand before him and challenge him so soon.

Mary sighed, never expecting that she would be forced to formally challenge Nie Zi so soon.

Mary had originally planned to have a private match with Nie Zi after the tournament ended this year, with all her abilities unrestricted, but now... it's not too bad.

"The long-awaited battle is finally about to begin! Will Mary, who challenged her brother, succeed in her comeback, or will Nie Zi prevail and uphold his authority as an elder? Let's wait and see!"

Listening to the commentator's introduction above her head, Mary couldn't help but smile.

Beep beep—!!

With a sharp whistle, the game officially began. Mary reached up and caught the sweet ball at her waist, then threw it out with force.

Momo once again appears as the opening Pokémon.

"Mari chose her usual Morpeko as her first move right from the start! Meanwhile, Gym Leader Nie Zi chose Bandana Thug! It seems that Gym Leader Nie Zi anticipated this and planned to take Mari's attack head-on!"

The hooded thug who appeared with high defense and magic resistance raised an eyebrow slightly, but Mary still carried out the plan.

"A surprise attack with a high five."

"Hold on."

Xiao Mo's figure flashed and disappeared, instantly appearing in front of the turbaned thug, slamming his palms down without hesitation. The light barrier shattered in response, a result that was entirely expected.

"Electromagnetic waves!"

"Enhancing Fist".

Faced with Mo's actions, the bandana-wearing thug, who was already skilled in close combat, quickly raised his hands, stepped forward, and threw a punch at Mo. Although he was not good at speed, he was confident in his fighting skills. Within his attack range, no Pokémon could escape his attack!

Xiao Mo reacted swiftly as always. Electromagnetic waves spread out, and without even glancing at the outcome, he decisively pushed off with both legs, crackling with electricity, intending to retreat.

However, they still underestimated the bandana thug's abilities. His small fists seemed completely unaffected by the electromagnetic waves, crossing that brief space and landing on Xiao Mo's chest.

It wasn't very powerful, but it still sent Xiao Mo flying backward.

The bandana thug's aura visibly increased, but it was still within an acceptable range. Moreover, the bandana thug was not unaffected; he simply suppressed his physical discomfort when throwing punches.

"Volt Replacement!"

Marnie's command came one after another, there was no need for Mordred to fight head-on. Bandana was also a very reliable Pokémon in Nie Zi's team, and it was also very experienced. Being stubborn was not a good choice.

Volt Switch was incredibly fast. The bandana thug only had time to raise his hand and throw a punch before the electric energy exploded in a head-on confrontation. The bandana thug was forced back several steps, while Mordred had already transformed into a streak of light and retreated back into his Poké Ball.

At the same time, Siji appeared on the field.

Not only that, the Z bracelet on Mary's wrist flashed and disappeared inconspicuously, and Sis's domineering aura suddenly spread, stunning all the audience members outside the venue.

At that moment, Nie Zi quickly took out a Poké Ball and changed the Pokémon that would be used.

Four times weaker than fairies, even a defensively-oriented character like the bandana thug would absolutely not be able to withstand a round of bombardment from Suzu-chan.

Having witnessed Mary's full power before, Nie Zi considered this.

Peter did reveal part of Mary's abilities a few days ago, but Nie Zi knew that his sister was definitely more than what she had shown a few days ago.

"Another dominant aura!! After Dragapult, this is the second Pokémon that has shown a dominant aura! Gym Leader Nie Zi did not hesitate to change members. It seems that he has experienced her power before (laughs)."

The trembling salamander stood casually opposite Sis-chan, and the oppressive aura of its domineering presence did not faze it in the slightest.

"Sonic blast!"

"Hold on!"

Mary's expression changed, and she quickly told Sis to defend herself, while the Trembling Salamander grinned and raised its two hands to swing down hard on its trembling organ in front of its chest.

"boom--!!!"

The invisible sound waves were like missiles exploding right next to the ears. The deafening sound spread from the center of the vibrato salamander, and the terrifying shock even shattered the entire field in an instant, leaving no intact foothold.

Mary staggered, covering her ears, and almost fell to the ground.

The instant the trembling salamander made its move, Sis-chan used teleportation to reach the furthest point behind it, directly leaning against the protective shield at the edge of the arena, and erecting a one-way protective light barrier.

The protective shield in front of her rippled like waves, but even so, Mary frowned and covered her ears. The audience members on site did the same. Even through the protective shield, they were still stunned by this attack that did not distinguish between friend and foe.

The already terrifyingly powerful Sonic Wave, enhanced by the ability 'Punk Rock', displays power that even surpasses that of Dynamax moves.

A cloud of dust rose from the cracked floor, consisting almost entirely of fragments of floorboards that had been shattered into powder in that instant.

"Strong mental focus!!"

With her ears still ringing and unable to hear anything, Mary communicated telepathically while simultaneously shouting out her next command. This indiscriminate approach, regardless of friend or foe, would be impossible for even the Trembling Salamander to remain completely unaffected by.

This is an opportunity, but it depends on whether Sisi can seize it.

Nie Zi glanced with slight concern at Mary, who was covering her ears and looking pained, but the battle wouldn't stop there.

"Lightning, electric shock wave!"