Chapter 545: The Final Battle...

What the spectators did not know was that Grapploct's Power-Up Punch had reached Apotheosis.

Only Aaron and Edmund knew that for certain.

"The outcome's decided," Edmund said, a broad smile spreading across his face.

Ivy immediately turned toward him. "President Edmund, what's going on with that Power-Up Punch? How can it possibly be that strong?"

"There's only one explanation," Dorian said from beside her, his eyes still fixed on Grapploct. "Apotheosis."

Ivy went still.

She had always looked down on Gage at least a little. Yet the supposedly ordinary kid from the mountains had turned out to possess not only an incredibly rare Mutated Pokémon, but an Apotheosis-level move as well.

She had badly underestimated him.

"Hahaha! Exactly." Edmund stroked his beard, clearly enjoying her reaction. "Grapploct's Power-Up Punch has reached Apotheosis. That mutation was born with an extraordinary affinity for martial arts. Its understanding of Fighting-type moves—and the speed at which it improves them—are far beyond what you'd expect from an ordinary Pokémon."

Aaron turned his attention back to the battlefield. "With a partner like that, Gage might actually have a shot at becoming a Champion-level Trainer someday."

Ivy gave him a skeptical look. "Champion-level? You say that like Champion-level Trainers grow on trees."

Gage had certainly surprised her, but that was as far as she was willing to go. Across thousands of years of Hualis history, how many people had ever reached that height?

The idea that some kid from the mountains, with no powerful family or background supporting him, could climb all the way to the top sounded ridiculous.

Even a NovelPhoenix protagonist would have trouble getting away with that one.

Aaron glanced at her and smiled. "And how exactly do you know he can't?"

"All right, enough," Edmund cut in before Ivy could answer. "Watch the match. We're about to find out how far he can go."

Everyone turned back toward the battlefield.

...

Grapploct stood surrounded by dense crimson energy, its presence noticeably heavier than before.

Across from it, Arcanine was already breathing hard. Its paws dug into the ground as it watched the Fighting type warily, no longer showing any trace of its earlier confidence.

"Arcanine, Morning Sun!"

Mason's expression was grim. He still could not understand how a simple Power-Up Punch had smashed straight through his Agility-Flame Wheel combination with that much force.

Whatever the reason, Arcanine had taken serious damage and needed to recover.

"AWOOOOOO!"

Arcanine raised its head in a long howl as warm, sunlike light poured over its body and began restoring its strength.

Gage smiled.

"Grapploct, one more time. Power-Up Punch."

If Mason was going to give him an opening, he had no intention of wasting it.

"Grap!"

Fighting-type energy flared around Grapploct's fist as it lunged straight toward Arcanine, which was still enveloped in the glow of Morning Sun.

"Arcanine, dodge!"

Mason immediately abandoned the recovery.

WHOOSH!

Arcanine kicked off the ground and burst sideways, narrowly avoiding the punch.

Grapploct's fist struck nothing but air, but that did not matter.

At Apotheosis, Power-Up Punch increased Grapploct's Attack the instant the move was activated, regardless of whether the strike connected. It had already gained one stage from Bulk Up and another three from its first Power-Up Punch.

Now the second activation pushed its Attack all the way to the maximum.

+6.

Crimson energy surged violently around Grapploct's body, rolling off it in waves like a blazing battle aura.

Mason's stomach dropped.

The attack had missed, yet somehow Grapploct had still gotten stronger.

Much stronger.

There was no room left to play cautiously.

"Arcanine! Agility into full-power Flare Blitz!"

"GRR-WOOF!"

Arcanine barked fiercely as purple energy flashed across its body. Its Speed surged, then scorching flames erupted from its fur and swallowed its massive frame from head to tail.

Agility gave it the acceleration.

Flare Blitz turned that speed into raw destructive force.

In the next instant, Arcanine became a streak of crimson fire tearing across the battlefield.

Gage did not move.

"Grapploct... this decides it. Superpower. Finish it!"

"GRAP!"

Grapploct planted its feet as the crimson aura around its body erupted. Fighting-type energy surged through all ten of its limbs, every muscle tightening as the charging Arcanine closed the final few meters.

Then it struck.

All ten limbs exploded forward in a storm of martial arts blows, concentrating Grapploct's fully boosted strength into one devastating counterattack.

KRAKOOOM!

The collision detonated across the arena.

A violent shockwave tore over the battlefield, blasting dust, shattered stone, and tongues of flame in every direction. For a moment, neither Pokémon could be seen through the explosion.

Then a sharp cry of pain cut through the smoke.

"ARRRRF!"

A crimson figure came flying out of the dust.

Arcanine.

Its flaming aura had been completely shattered.

The massive canine slammed into the battlefield and skidded violently across the ground before crashing into the edge of a newly formed crater.

BOOM!

Dust rolled outward.

When it finally cleared, Arcanine lay sprawled at the bottom, its chest rising weakly.

"Arf..."

A faint whimper escaped its throat before its head dropped and its eyes began to spin.

Arcanine was unable to battle.

At the center of the devastated field, Grapploct was still standing.

Its breathing was heavy and the red aura around its body had begun to fade, but its posture remained steady. Ten tentacles spread around it as it stood in silence, calm and composed like a martial arts master at the end of a hard-fought duel.

For that moment, the entire arena belonged to it.

Grapploct—the Ten-Armed Martial Artist.