With four uses of Quiver Dance, Butterfree's power had built up to its absolute limit, pushing the strength of its Electroweb to a truly terrifying level.

And with a move this wide in scope, there was no way Blastoise could dodge.

Its eyes widened as it watched the electric net descend from above, unable to do anything.

A blinding surge of electricity lit up the entire battlefield the moment the web made contact!

Sparks exploded across the stadium as the electric currents raced through the net, engulfing Blastoise in a flash of searing light.

"Blastoise!" Tenmei cried out in alarm. She couldn't believe it—Butterfree actually knew Electroweb?!

Blastoise didn't respond. The crackling voltage surged into its body, racing through its limbs like thousands of tiny needles, each jab setting its nerves on fire. The paralysis hit fast and hard, its muscles refused to respond.

"Ka—!"

Blastoise let out a pained cry. The intense current overwhelmed its body, and at last, its strength failed. With a thunderous crash, the massive Water-type collapsed.

Gasps echoed through the arena.

The crowd erupted into a stunned uproar.

Butterfree… had turned the entire battle around!

That was Electroweb, an Electric-type move rarely, if ever, seen on a Butterfree!

Everyone knew that Butterfree couldn't normally learn Electroweb by leveling up. Only through rare and special training methods could it master such a technique.

Even then, it was incredibly difficult. As a Bug/Flying-type, Butterfree didn't possess a natural affinity for Electric energy.

And yet, here it was.

In the audience seating behind the competitors, Champion Cynthia and Steven Stone watched the battle unfold on the big screen.

Cynthia's golden eyes sparkled.

"Electroweb?" she murmured, intrigued.

She knew Butterfree wasn't one of Naoki's signature Pokémon. It was simply one of the companions living peacefully at his ranch.

And yet even this Pokémon, one not trained for official battles, had achieved this level of power.

But Cynthia saw what others didn't.

This wasn't just the strength of Butterfree. It was the strength of their bond.

The trust between trainer and Pokémon had created something far greater than raw stats.

"That's exactly what I expected from Naoki," Steven said with admiration.

Cynthia glanced at him.

"I can't wait to see what his main Pokémon can do," Steven continued, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

To battle a trainer like that would be an honor, one worthy of champions.

Back on the battlefield, the referee stepped forward and examined Blastoise, which lay motionless in defeat.

Raising his whistle, he gave a sharp blow and declared, "Blastoise is unable to battle! The winner is Naoki!"

A wave of cheers exploded through the crowd.

Butterfree, hovering above, exhaled in relief.

Its final attack had pushed it far past its physical limits. After burning through every last bit of energy, it could barely keep itself airborne.

But it held on, just long enough to see the match through.

And now, having secured victory, Butterfree gently closed its eyes and began to fall.

Before it could hit the ground, a soft white beam of light surrounded it, pulling it back safely into its Poké Ball.

Naoki caught the ball with care and lowered his head.

"You were amazing, Butterfree," he whispered with a smile. "You've earned a good rest."

The Poké Ball trembled slightly, as if Butterfree was responding from within, content and at peace.

Naoki gently placed the ball back on his belt, then pulled out another one.

This was a 2-on-2 singles battle.

He had won the first round, but the match wasn't over yet.

There was still one more fight to go before he could claim his first official win in the World Championship.

Tenmei had regained her composure by now. Looking across the battlefield, she realized that the man standing opposite her was no ordinary trainer.

"Not bad," she admitted. "But from this point on, I'll be fighting for real!"

"The second match officially begins!" the referee announced, blowing sharply on his whistle.

Both trainers hurled their Poké Balls at the same time.

Twin flashes of white light lit up the field, and two very different Pokémon emerged.

One of them was a familiar Bug/Poison-type with piercing red eyes and a pair of sharp, glinting stingers.

"That's... Beedrill!"

Excitement buzzed through the crowd, but their attention quickly shifted to the other side of the field.

Standing opposite Beedrill was a sleek, reptilian Pokémon with dark green scales, a low-slung body, and an inflatable, tire-like sac around its chest.

A group of spectators from the Paldea region immediately recognized it.

"That's Cyclizar! It's one of the most popular Pokémon back home!"

"Yeah! I've been riding Cyclizar since I was a kid!"

"But... you rarely see them used in battle!"

Indeed, in everyday life, nearly 90% of Cyclizar are used as riding Pokémon. Very few trainers ever put them in competitive fights.

Now, with all eyes on the battlefield, the crowd held their breath in anticipation.

How would this Cyclizar perform in a real match?

Tenmei was the first to act.

"Beedrill, use Agility and boost your speed!"

Unlike her previous Pokémon, Blastoise, Beedrill was built for rapid assaults. Speed was its greatest weapon. Starting fast gave it the upper hand.

The moment the referee's whistle faded, Beedrill's body gleamed with a faint white light. It loosened its stance and took flight, its wings buzzing at an even higher frequency to increase mobility.

Naoki, however, remained completely calm.

"Trying to win on speed, huh?" he murmured. "Well then, let's see who's faster."

Back at the ranch, if you asked which Pokémon was the fastest, Cyclizar could confidently claim second place in the top three.

"Cyclizar, rush in and use Breaking Swipe!"

The green lizard crouched low, its eyes locked onto Beedrill.

Then, with a sharp growl and a sudden burst of motion, Cyclizar launched forward like a blur.

"Whoa! That's insanely fast!" Tenmei gasped. She immediately snapped to action. "Beedrill, dodge it!"

Beedrill twitched in response, its wings vibrating so fast they became a blur as it tried to zip away.

But the next moment, something happened that no one expected.

That Cyclizar actually caught up with Beedrill!

Tenmei's eyes widened in shock. "How is that possible?!"

How could a Cyclizar be that fast? Even Beedrill, after using Agility, couldn't outrun it?!

While she stood frozen in disbelief, Cyclizar raised its powerful tail and whipped it across the field.

Thud!

Beedrill was struck hard and sent tumbling forward, crashing to the ground in a daze.

"Unbelievable! Naoki's Cyclizar is completely dominating in this round!" the commentator cried, his voice full of awe.

The crowd erupted in chatter, equally stunned.

"That thing's speed... it's insane!"

"What's so special about Cyclizar's speed?" a visiting trainer from another region asked, confused.

"You don't get it, it's too fast! Like, elite-level fast!"

Meanwhile, the battle raged on in the arena.

Beedrill groaned and tried to rise, its wings fluttering weakly, but Naoki and Cyclizar gave it no breathing room.

Fast-attack Pokémon never give their opponents a chance to recover. They strike again and again until the battle is over.

"Cyclizar, Rapid Spin!"

Cyclizar blurred forward, moving like a streak of white light. Before Beedrill could lift itself, another impact knocked it violently backward.

"Beedrill!" Tenmei gasped. 

But Cyclizar wasn't done yet.

In a flash of motion, its tail glowed with a deep, purplish hue. A massive, glowing Dragon Claw slashed through the air.

Simultaneously, the tire-like sac on Cyclizar's chest spun faster and faster, whirring like an engine.

That was... Shift Gear!

As Beedrill staggered mid-air, the dragon claw came crashing down again.

CRACK!

Beedrill was hurled back like a ragdoll, slamming into the arena's protective barrier. It slid down slowly, its limbs limp.

The impact had knocked the wind out of it, and worse, its eyes rolled back.

Beedrill had fainted.

The arena fell completely silent for a heartbeat.

Then—

"…That was way too fast."

The match had barely lasted three minutes, and it was over.

Cyclizar's strength was terrifying.

"I never thought anyone in the Paldea region could train a Cyclizar to such a level…" someone murmured.

"The winner is Naoki!" the referee declared, blowing his whistle again.

Cheers erupted across the stadium as Naoki's name and rank flashed across the big screen. He had jumped from rank 99 to 96.

"Cyclizar, amazing job," Naoki said warmly, smiling at Cyclizar walking back toward him.

The audience rose to their feet, applause thundering across the stands.

Spotlights poured down from above, illuminating Naoki's relaxed smile.

Cyclizar looked up at him, eyes shining.

For just a moment, it felt… perfect.

It let out a cheerful cry and trotted up to its trainer with pride.

"Gaao!"

After finishing his match, Naoki glanced around at the cheering crowd, then turned calmly and walked off the stage with Cyclizar by his side.

In the players' waiting room, Steven and Cynthia were still there.

As soon as Naoki entered, the two greeted him with a warm, "Congratulations!"

Naoki simply blinked and replied, "…Thanks."

He looked at them both curiously and asked, "Are you two up next?"

Steven and Cynthia exchanged a glance and nodded.

Naoki smiled. "Then, I hope you both win."

Cynthia: "…"

Steven: "…"

They were momentarily speechless.

Mr. Naoki really had a way with words. Did he forget they were facing each other? Only one of them could win this match.

Five minutes later, the Masters-level battle officially began.

Cynthia said a polite goodbye to Steven and Naoki, then turned and walked down her assigned player entrance tunnel.

At the Masters tier, the presentation was a bit more formal than in the Advanced matches.

Every trainer competing at this level was among the elite of their respective regions, powerful, popular, and admired.

So before every match, the announcers would take a moment to introduce both participants and highlight their credentials.

Naoki didn't leave right away. Instead, he took a seat and decided to watch their battle with interest.

The format was 1v1 singles, straightforward, but intense.

What surprised him was that both Cynthia and Steven started off by sending in their ace Pokémon right away.

Metagross vs. Garchomp.

Or more accurately… Mega Metagross vs. Mega Garchomp!

As Naoki watched the dramatic footage on the large screen, a familiar voice rang out from behind.

"So… who do you think will win?"

Naoki turned and saw Leon standing nearby, his expression curious and excited.

He turned back to the screen, thoughtful. "Hard to say. On paper, Cynthia has the advantage in typing. But at this level, Steven definitely has strategies to counter the type matchup. If I had to guess… I'd say Steven."

"Steven, huh?" Leon mused, his eyes narrowing as he observed the unfolding battle.

On the screen, Cynthia had just ordered her Mega Garchomp to use Sandstorm.

Steven's Mega Metagross tried to intercept with a Flash Cannon, but it was too late.

The Sandstorm kicked up violently, covering the entire battlefield in a haze of swirling yellow grit.

With the weather now in her favor, Garchomp's Ability [Sand Force] activated, its power increasing sharply.

In an instant, Steven and Mega Metagross were pushed onto the back foot.

Steven didn't waste a second. He quickly countered by ordering Psychic.

Mega Metagross's eyes glowed as a powerful telekinetic force formed and struck Garchomp, knocking it slightly off balance.

But Cynthia responded without hesitation.

"Dig," she commanded.

Garchomp dove beneath the earth in an instant, disappearing into the ground to launch a surprise attack from below.

Just as Naoki had predicted, Steven was ready for it.

The moment Steven saw Garchomp dive underground, he didn't hesitate.

"Mega Metagross, use Earthquake!"

The entire battlefield trembled violently. Cracks rippled out from beneath Mega Metagross as seismic waves pulsed across the arena, even rattling the energy barriers at the edges.

Earthquake wasn't just a powerful Ground-type move, it was especially effective against any opponent using Dig. And in this case, the attack's power was doubled.

The shockwave struck true. Garchomp was forcefully shaken out of the ground and hurled upward by the tremors.

"Now!" Steven commanded.

A gleaming flash built up in front of Mega Metagross—Flash Cannon.

The beam shot out like a bullet of light, crashing into the spot where Garchomp had emerged. Smoke and dust filled the arena from the impact.

Everyone held their breath, thinking the battle might already be over…

But suddenly, a blur burst through the thick smoke—Mega Garchomp, eyes blazing, wings flared, and speed surging.

"Dragon Rush!"

In a flash, the fearsome dragon swooped down, closing the distance with terrifying momentum.

Steven didn't flinch. He watched with calm elegance as his Mega Metagross crossed its four powerful arms to intercept Garchomp.

Then, energy began to gather at its metallic forehead.

Zen Headbutt!

A burst of psychic energy exploded on contact. Garchomp reeled from the direct hit, momentarily dazed, but not defeated.

Responding swiftly to Cynthia's command, Mega Garchomp dug deep into its inner power. Empowered by its Sand Force ability, it whipped up a swirling Sand Tomb, trapping Mega Metagross in a violent sandstorm.

Dust and debris blasted through the air, obscuring vision and hammering at Mega Metagross's body.

For a moment, the battlefield seemed completely engulfed in chaos.

Then, Steven's voice rang out clear and sharp.

"Metagross! Target the three o'clock direction, use Hyper Beam!"

Inside the swirling sand, Mega Metagross trusted its Trainer without hesitation. With its supercomputer-like mind, it calculated the trajectory in an instant.

A blazing white beam of energy erupted from its core.

BOOM!

The Hyper Beam tore through the sandstorm like a spear of light and struck Garchomp head-on.

The audience gasped.

Garchomp's form glowed briefly, its Mega Evolution dispelled by the sheer force of the blow.

Its body slammed to the ground.

"Garchomp is unable to battle! The winner is Steven!" the referee announced.

Naoki watched the battle unfold, nodding slightly.

He had predicted it. And now it was confirmed.

Leon's eyes lit up.

So Naoki wasn't just a powerful trainer, he was also a great tactician.

"I'm looking forward to our match, Naoki."

...

After the first match, Naoki rode Koraidon back to the ranch.

Elara still needed his care, so he couldn't stay in Galar for too long.

The Trainer App had already updated his next match date, August 5th, which gave him a few days to rest.

During this time, Naoki remained on the ranch, tending to the Pokémon and enjoying the peace.

Meanwhile, a special post quietly appeared on the World Championship's official trainer forum, drawing unexpected attention from trainers across the globe.