At this moment, Lorelei was hidden in a secluded corner of the arena. She watched with fascination as the Alolan Niales radiated intense cold even within the heart of the hurricane.
I didn't expect this kid to be so powerful, she thought. Lance's friend is truly something else. In just a few months, he's cultivated a Niales to this level.
I've heard legends of the Niales inheritance—how they can pass down the memories of ancestors to their kin. That frost brand on its forehead confirms it: this is an Heir. The sheer chill it's putting out is comparable to my primary Cloyster. I'd love to test its limits myself. A small smile played on Lorelei's lips, her eyes reflecting a growing desire for battle.
On the field, Blue looked at the frozen wasteland around him in disbelief. Niales let out another pulse of frigid energy, which was sucked up by the wind pillars into the upper atmosphere. Thick clouds formed instantly, and heavy snow began to fall.
"This Niales... its weather control is off the charts!" "It looks like a princess from a kingdom of ice." "Look! It's seizing control of Pidgeot's tornadoes and turning them into a Blizzard!"
The audience was stunned. It was mid-summer, yet an Arctic storm was raging. Under Niales' manipulation, the snowflakes became as sharp and fast as metallic bullets. Pidgeot's feathers were quickly coated in frost, becoming stiff and heavy. With every flap, chunks of ice and snow fell from its wings.
"Pidgeot, use Giga Impact!" Blue shouted, sensing the end was near.
But he was too late. Niales spread its nine tails wide, and nine separate Ice Beams shot out simultaneously. Everywhere the beams passed, massive jagged ice pillars sprouted from the ground. Pidgeot tried to use its Mach 2 speed to weave through the forest of ice, but the numbing cold had sapped its agility.
Finally, a beam struck true. Pidgeot was encased in a block of ice and plummeted from the sky with a heavy thud, landing deep in the snowdrifts.
"Pidgeot is unable to battle! The winner is Feng Che!" the referee announced after confirming the bird was unconscious. "Blue, please send out your next Pokémon. Feng Che, you may switch or continue."
"Return, Pidgeot," Blue said, his face grim. "Next up, I'm counting on you. Go, Niales!"
Blue's Niales emerged, its body radiating intense heat. A fire dragon manifested from its tails, circling the arena until the snow began to melt into slush.
"Niales, draw the ice energy back in. Let's save the staff some cleanup time," Feng Che called out.
The Alolan Niales opened its mouth, and streams of icy blue vapor flowed back into its body. Within moments, the snow was gone, leaving only the crater Pidgeot had made.
"Niales, use Flamethrower!" Blue ordered.
However, Feng Che raised a hand to signal a switch. "Sorry, Blue. You know my habit. I don't let my partners go two rounds in a row."
He recalled the ice fox and threw another ball. Out came the Red Gyarados.
"A Red Gyarados?! That's insanely rare!" "Holy crap, how much would that be worth on the black market? Hundreds of millions?" "Stop drooling, you can't put a price on a Shiny like that. Just watch the match!"
The appearance of the crimson leviathan sent a shockwave through the crowd.
In the observation booth, Blaze's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"What is it, Blaze? Is there something wrong with the Gyarados?" Hagen asked, noticing his colleague's stunned expression.
"I... I think I've seen that Gyarados before," Blaze muttered to himself.
"Oh? During the Rocket attack?" Hagen's eyes sharpened. If the Gyarados had been seen with the invaders, he'd have his proof.
"No. On Death Island," Blaze replied. "The island that used to be under Lance's name. I went there secretly a while back—remember when I was gone for a few weeks? In the center of the island, we encountered a Red Gyarados that could literally command the storms. It was fighting the island's strongest Pokémon like a Dragon King of the deep. The pressure it gave off was terrifying."
"The next day, the area was decimated. I had the League inspectors search the whole island, but the Gyarados was gone. Feng Che's Gyarados... it doesn't feel quite as monstrously strong as the one on the island, so maybe it's just a coincidence. Red Gyarados are rare, but there are known cases like Lance's or Lysandre's."
Blaze shook his head, unsure.
"Regardless, Feng Che is hiding something huge," Hagen hissed, his "sixth sense" flaring again. "We need a full investigation into his background."
"To investigate a legal citizen without cause requires a unanimous vote from the Elite Four," Blaze reminded him. "And you need hard evidence. Agatha and Lorelei won't agree without it. Especially since Feng Che has history with Agatha—he was almost her apprentice. Do you really think your proposal will pass?"
Hagen just growled, his eyes fixed on Feng Che with a predatory intensity.
[Mewtwo: Feng Che, Blaze seems to recognize your Gyarados. He's not certain yet, but he's suspicious.]
That's fine, Feng Che replied mentally. Red Gyarados exist in the wild. Lance has one, and so does Lysandre. Sending it out against Blue's Niales isn't a smoking gun. Even Giovanni doesn't know I have this one.
Feng Che looked at Blue's fire fox and then at his massive red dragon. "Gyarados, let's show them the power of the tides!"
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