"Have we been seen through already?"

Lance's thoughts raced.

"Even if I use Heat wave now to clear the Grassy Terrain, with how that Gogoat operates… it'll probably just activate it again immediately."

Still, he wasn't panicking.

"It's fine. Even if Het Wave doesn't succeed, if Charizard lands, it should still benefit from the terrain's healing effects," Lance reasoned.

That way, he could stabilize the situation first and then look for a proper opening.

The second round officially began!

This time, Lance adopted a cautious strategy. He directed Charizard to keep its distance and use long-range Fire-type attacks.

Meanwhile, Gogoat extended thick, powerful vines from its body and charged forward, initiating a relentless pursuit of Charizard.

Forced to stop its fiery onslaught, Charizard rapidly beat its wings, circling above the stadium, trying to stay out of reach.

The chase was tense and fierce, an aerial dance of offense and evasion.

And then, something unexpected happened.

Gogoat suddenly manipulated one of its vines to slingshot ahead, cutting off Charizard's path while the other vine swept in from behind.

A coordinated pincer strike!

Charizard couldn't dodge in time. With a heavy thud, it was struck mid-flight and came crashing down in a tangle of wings and limbs.

Charizard was hit!

Lance's heart tightened, but then a wave of relief washed over him.

At least now Charizard's on the ground...

Grassy Terrain wasn't just for Grass-type moves, it also healed any grounded Pokémon each turn.

With the Grassy Terrain active, Charizard's injuries should begin to heal automatically.

Not only Lance, but many Trainers watching the match thought the same.

Until the next second completely shattered their expectations.

Charizard remained wounded.

The shimmering green glow of the terrain did not flow toward it. There was no sign of recovery.

"What?!"

"The Grassy Terrain isn't healing Charizard?!"

"What in the world is going on?!"

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the stadium. Disbelief spread like wildfire.

But a few keen-eyed and experienced Trainers began to piece it together.

They recalled how Gogoat had instantly activated Grassy Terrain the moment it appeared.

These weren't just any Gogoat, Naoki's team had mastered control over Grass-type energy to an incredible degree!

That's why... they could manipulate the terrain to heal only themselves while denying it to their opponents.

"Someone can actually do that?" someone in the crowd whispered in awe.

Lance's expression darkened. His mind reeled.

He thought back... hadn't Gyarados also failed to heal earlier?

He'd assumed it was because Gyarados was airborne and hadn't touched the ground.

But now he realized that wasn't the reason at all.

"Gogoat, finish it!" Naoki's voice rang out from across the battlefield.

Lance's eyes snapped upward, and he saw it.

The Gogoat, standing proud and unwavering, radiated a terrifying surge of energy.

The earth beneath them trembled in response.

Vines thicker than tree trunks erupted from the ground, surging forward like emerald serpents.

They lunged toward Charizard in a wild, sweeping strike.

"Charizard, use Flare Blitz!" Lance commanded sharply.

Flames burst across Charizard's body, wrapping it in a blazing aura as it tried to take off and power through the incoming vines.

But the vines didn't falter.

Even when scorched, they pressed on without hesitation, resilient and relentless.

In a flash, Charizard was completely engulfed.

For a few heartbeats, the battlefield was silent, the air thick with tension.

Then, as suddenly as they appeared, the massive vines withdrew.

What appeared before everyone was Charizard, lying defeated on the battlefield.

"Charizard is unable to battle! Naoki wins the second round!"

Lance's expression grew serious. He looked at his fallen Charizard, then silently returned it to its Poké Ball.

His plan had failed.

Now, there was only one option left.

For the final battle, Lance didn't hesitate. He pulled out his third Poké Ball.

Seeing this, Naoki made his own move, he swapped out his current Pokémon for the same Gogoat that had previously used Bulk Up five times.

Unlike in the games, buffs from stat-enhancing moves like Bulk Up don't vanish the moment a Pokémon is recalled. Instead, they remain active for a set duration. That meant this Gogoat still had all the benefits from its five Bulk Ups.

With five boosts to its strength and defense, its Grass Pelt Ability enhancing defense under Grassy Terrain, and the regenerative effects of the Grassy Terrain itself, this Gogoat could likely stand up to even a mythical Pokémon.

Lance hurled his third Poké Ball, and a flash of white light revealed his strongest trump card, Dragonite!

The Dynamax Band on his wrist suddenly pulsed with crimson energy.

Lance raised his arm, and the Poké Ball in his hand glowed brightly and expanded, energized by Dynamax power.

"Let's go, Dragonite! Dynamax!"

With a powerful throw, Lance launched the glowing Poké Ball high into the sky.

A massive surge of red light burst forth, and with a rumble like thunder, an enormous Dragonite, nearly 30 meters tall, descended onto the battlefield.

Dynamax Dragonite!

The crowd erupted.

"Trainer Lance has Dynamaxed his Dragonite!" the announcer called out in awe.

Even seasoned trainers who had seen Dynamax transformations before couldn't help but marvel at the scale and power of the scene before them.

In this state, Dragonite's regular moves would transform into Max Moves, amplifying their power and granting powerful battlefield effects.

"Is Lance planning to unleash Dragonite's most devastating Max Move to crush Naoki's Gogoat?" the commentator asked breathlessly.

On the battlefield, Lance wasted no time.

"Dragonite, use Max Lightning!"

The electrical energy within Dragonite surged, intertwining with the red Dynamax aura surrounding it. The two forces resonated powerfully.

Dark storm clouds began to gather above the stadium, stretching across the entire Palace Gate Arena like a brewing thunderstorm.

Crackling lightning danced within the clouds, and then, a massive bolt shot straight down, targeting the Gogoat below.

Naoki narrowed his eyes. "Gogoat, full power! Use that move!"

"Mehhh!" 

The Gogoat charged forward, bolting toward Dragonite with astonishing speed.

A radiant green glow began to gather in its mouth. To the astonishment of everyone watching, the energy solidified into a massive Sacred Sword of Grass!

"That move…!" gasps echoed across the arena.

Clenching the enormous sword in its jaws, the Gogoat fixed its eyes squarely on the towering Dynamaxed Dragonite.

Then, in an instant, a colossal bolt of lightning surged down from the sky, enveloping the entire battlefield in blinding light.

But Gogoat didn't stop.

It leapt high through the curtain of lightning, blade slashing downward in a spectacular arc before landing squarely on all four hooves.

Crackling streams of electricity ran through its legs and into the earth below, helping it dissipate some of the Max Lightning's damage.

But Naoki knew… that wasn't the real objective.

If Lance had truly intended to knock Gogoat out in one blow, he would've used Max Hailstorm, not Max Lightning.

No, the true purpose of the lightning was to overwrite the Grassy Terrain!

And it succeeded.

Golden sparks lingered in the air as the terrain shimmered, the soothing green energy faded, replaced by the sharp, crackling power of an Electric Terrain!

"Dragonite, now's our chance!" Lance shouted, seizing the momentum. "Max Hailstorm!"

"Gogoat, go all out again!" Naoki called back at the exact moment.

Even though Dragonite had a quadruple resistance to Grass-type moves, Gogoat's attacks, amplified by the World Tree's blessing and the earlier five-time building boost, had reached a power that could cut through even natural resistances.

The arena shook as both Pokémon launched into action.

From above, a torrent of frozen energy erupted. Gigantic blocks of ice began to fall like meteors, slamming into the battlefield with earth-rattling force.

BOOM!

Yet within the icy chaos, Gogoat surged ahead, charging with the Sacred Sword clenched tightly in its mouth. Its eyes locked onto Dragonite, calm, determined, unshaken.

Right as the final and largest block of ice came crashing down, Gogoat leapt into the air like a bullet.

And then...SLASH!

The Sacred Sword of Grass carved through the storm and through its massive target in one breathtaking strike.

A moment later, the maximal energy enveloping Dynamaxed Dragonite suddenly ruptured in a burst of blinding white light.

A pained cry escaped from Dragonite's lips as its enormous body shrank rapidly, the Dynamax energy retreating until the proud dragon returned to its normal form, battered and breathless.

Lance clenched his jaw.

Even that hadn't worked?

"Dragonite is unable to battle!" shouted referee, blowing his whistle. "Gogoat is the winner of this match!"

The crowd sat frozen in stunned silence, unable to process what had just happened.

All eyes were fixed on the battlefield, where the Gogoat, though visibly injured and breathing heavily, stood tall and composed, its noble gaze locked on its fallen opponent.

This Gogoat… had just defeated a Dynamaxed Dragonite.

And not only that, it had done so with just two strikes.

Even against an opponent with a natural type advantage.

How?

And more importantly…

That incredible move, was it even possible for a Gogoat to use such a technique?

Everyone knew that Gogoat was a very ordinary Pokémon. Its ecological habits, feeding patterns, and typical move pool had long been studied thoroughly by Pokémon Professors.

And yet, this Gogoat had just used a move no one had ever seen before!

"The battle is over! Congratulations to Trainer Naoki for advancing to the semi-finals!" the announcer declared, his voice filled with excitement.

As the words echoed across the arena, the audience slowly snapped out of their daze.

Then, like a rising tide, cheers and applause erupted throughout the stadium.

"Come back, Gogoat!" Naoki called out gently as he returned the Pokémon to its Poké Ball. "Thanks for everything, you were amazing out there."

Across the battlefield, Lance had regained his composure. Arms folded, he looked at Naoki with a mix of admiration and reluctant acceptance.

"Hmph… I'll admit, it stings," Lance said, sighing. "But you truly have a gift for battling. I accept this loss, wholeheartedly."

He was no longer the brash, hot-headed Trainer from years ago who couldn't handle defeat. Today, what he felt most was the thrill of having faced a Trainer stronger than himself.

"If you ever get the chance," Naoki said warmly, "come visit my home. I've raised plenty of Dragon-types too. Maybe we could have ourselves a proper Dragon showdown."

Lance paused, then recalled Naoki's group of delivery Dragonites and cracked a smile. "Yeah. I'd like that."

The two Trainers left the battlefield one after another.

Backstage, Leon gave Naoki a wide grin and shot him a confident thumbs-up.

Nearby, Cynthia and Steven were deep in thought. If either of them had to face Naoki next, how would they handle that mysterious and powerful Gogoat?

Lance nodded at his fellow Champions before quietly exiting the Palace Gate Arena.

Naoki, however, remained a while longer.

With the quarterfinals concluded, the semifinal bracket drawing was about to begin.

Several Trainers decided to stay and watch from backstage.

This time, it wasn't Chairman Rose overseeing the draw. Instead, the duty fell to the chief referee.

Moments later, the semifinal lineup was announced:

Semifinal Schedule:

October 10th, 9:00 AM — Leon vs. Cynthia

October 11th, 9:00 AM — Naoki vs. Steven

Upon seeing the pairings, Steven turned to look at Naoki.

Naoki gave him a calm smile. "I'll be counting on your guidance," he said.

Steven: "…"

After exchanging farewells with the others, Naoki left the Palace Gate Arena and returned to Tree House Ranch.

But when he got back, something felt off.

He searched the ranch high and low, yet there was no sign of Elara.

Perplexed, Naoki went to his sister Indeedee and asked, "Indeedee, have you seen where Elara went?"

"Ai-ah!" Indeedee pointed up toward the sky.

Naoki instantly understood, Elara had gone to the World Tree again.

The image of Red flashed through his mind. After a moment's thought, he decided to head there first.

At the World Tree, inside the Pokémon Tavern...

The livestream on Rotom's phone had just ended.

The Pokémon inside the tavern were bursting with excitement, celebrating Naoki's incredible victory.

Red and Pikachu stood off to the side, silently replaying the battle in their minds, lost in thought.

Suddenly, the sound of children's laughter echoed from outside.

Red blinked, startled. Several Pokémon pricked up their ears at the joyful sound and rushed out eagerly.

"Pikapi?"

"…"

After a moment of silence, Red and Pikachu stepped outside to take a look.

And then, they froze.

Not far off, the three Legendary Beasts, Entei, Suicune, and Raikou, had appeared.

And riding on Entei's broad, regal head was a little girl with pigtails.

She was laughing joyfully, and it was clear she was very popular with the Pokémon.

Her legs kicked gently in the air before she motioned as if she wanted to come down.

Understanding her intent, Entei gently lowered his massive body, letting the girl slide safely off his back.

The moment her feet touched the ground, she ran straight over to a fluffy Ninetales, giggling as she rolled in its warm fur and played.

As Red watched this scene in astonishment, the three Legendary Pokémon turned to look at him.

They examined him for a moment, sensed no threat, and soon shifted their attention back to the little girl.

Red was baffled.

Someone else was living atop this colossal World Tree?

Who was she?

Could she be... the child of that mysterious Trainer named Naoki?

Just as the thought crossed his mind, the little girl noticed him.

She paused her play and looked up at him with wide, curious eyes.

Red: "…"

It was right then that Naoki arrived.

Relieved to see his daughter, he let out a breath and walked over to gently pick her up.

He then turned to Red with a calm smile and asked,"Getting any good training in?"

Red hesitated, then recalled everything he had explored over the past few days.

This World Tree was even more massive than he'd imagined.

He'd flown Charizard through the outer layers and discovered the entire place was suspended in midair, with countless layers and hidden realms.

For example, in the lower levels, he found an island populated entirely by Dragonite.

Further down was a blazing volcanic zone, home to Moltres, and another Pokémon he didn't recognize.

He hadn't had the chance to fully explore the deepest levels yet.

But one thing was clear: the pressure and aura he'd sensed from that Pokémon, it was undoubtedly Legendary.

With Ho-Oh residing in the upper canopy, and even darker, mysterious presences lurking at the summit, Red began to suspect:

Could it be... that each level of this World Tree was home to a Legendary Pokémon?