This was the first time Gengar had encountered such a difficult target to hypnotize. Even after exerting all its strength, it could only manage to daze Tapu Bulu. But to push further and put it into a deep slumber? That was beyond its capabilities.
Gengar, who was at the pseudo-Elite peak, could confidently hypnotize even mid-to-late-stage Elite opponents.
But the current Tapu Bulu was a Champion. In terms of actual power levels, Gengar was two whole tiers below it.
The fact that it could even daze Tapu Bulu was already impressive enough to make other Gengars shout, "Damn, that's insane!"
However, while Tapu Bulu was still disoriented, Mega Metagross had already closed in. Its multicolored Meteor Mash concentrated every last ounce of its strength.
Under the overwhelming force of the attack, Tapu Bulu instantly snapped awake—only to be met with a gigantic, steel-clad fist.
At this point, it was already too late to dodge or counter.
BOOM!!
The Meteor Mash crashed into its face like a collapsing mountain, the sheer force distorting Tapu Bulu's features on impact.
Its body was sent flying like a streak of light, obliterating trees, rocks, and anything else in its path.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!
It was sent flying ten kilometers, twenty kilometers, thirty kilometers—and still, it didn't stop.
Only a distant string of explosions could be heard, the sound growing farther and farther away.
Mega Metagross reverted from its Mega Evolution form. That Meteor Mash had drained all its remaining energy, leaving it unable to sustain the transformation any longer.
Looking around, Melmetal, Arcanine, Steelix, and Kartana were already down, and Lucario had been recalled into its Poké Ball earlier by Julian.
The only ones still standing on the battlefield were Mega Aggron, Gengar, Dragonite, Moltres and the exhausted Metagross.
Mega Aggron was in terrible shape—even standing seemed like a struggle at this point.
Gengar and Metagross weren't doing much better, their stamina nearly spent.
Dragonite and Moltres were the only ones still in decent condition.
Julian clenched his fists. Since the start of his journey, this was the first time he'd suffered such a crushing defeat—and despite paying such a heavy price, he still hadn't managed to take down his opponent.
That's right. Julian didn't believe Tapu Bulu would go down that easily.
The moment it tapped into the island's power to reach Champion-level, Julian's chances of defeating it had plummeted. There was still hope, but that hope came at the cost of his Pokémon sustaining more and more injuries.
If he'd had enough time, made some preparations in advance, used some tricky or underhanded tactics—then maybe, just maybe, he'd have had a better shot at winning.
But Tapu Bulu had struck too fast, leaving Julian no room to strategize.
Under the sunlight, both Metagross and Mega Aggron were recovering their stamina quickly.
"BULU!"
A furious roar echoed through the air as Tapu Bulu reappeared in front of Julian once more.
This time, it looked much more battered. After taking Mega Metagross's full-powered punch, its face was swollen, and its body was littered with wounds from all the relentless collisions during its flight.
THUD. THUD.
Mega Aggron trudged forward, its heavy steps shaking the ground as it advanced toward Tapu Bulu.
A cold glint flashed in Tapu Bulu's eyes. It summoned another Wood Hammer, aiming straight at Mega Aggron.
In its current state, one solid hit from this attack would surely knock Mega Aggron out of the fight.
"Endure!" Julian commanded.
[Endure: Allows the user to survive any attack that would cause it to faint, leaving the user with 1 HP instead.]
With a deafening CRASH, the wooden hammer slammed into Mega Aggron's abdomen, denting even its incredibly durable armor.
Tapu Bulu: 'How… is this possible?'
Seeing Mega Aggron still standing on the field, Tapu Bulu looked genuinely shocked. How could it still be standing after taking that hit?
"Reversal!"
Julian's heart ached at the sight of Mega Aggron's caved-in armor, but the fury in his chest burned even hotter.
[Reversal: A move that grows stronger the lower the user's HP.]
Now that Mega Aggron had only 1 HP left, the move's power was at its absolute peak.
Despite its massive frame, Mega Aggron moved with unexpected speed, its towering horn—sharp enough to pierce the sky—driving straight into Tapu Bulu's stomach.
Blood gushed from the wound as unbearable pain wracked Tapu Bulu's body, forcing out a piercing screech.
"Mega Punch!"
Dragonite struck Tapu Bulu from behind with a powerful punch. With a sickening squelch, the horn was driven even deeper.
"Meteor Mash!"
Metagross, having recovered some stamina, appeared behind Tapu Bulu in a flash. Another Meteor Mash was aimed right at its back.
If this hit landed, the horn lodged in its abdomen would be driven all the way through—leaving it either dead or crippled beyond recovery.
Desperate, Tapu Bulu summoned another Wood Hammer, swinging it at Mega Aggron. If it could knock Aggron away, the horn stuck in its abdomen would be pulled out with it.
"Gen~"
Gengar suddenly reappeared, unleashing an intense wave of hypnotic energy.
Tapu Bulu's movements faltered—just for a split second—but that was all it took.
SQUELCH!
Metagross's Meteor Mash struck true, slamming Tapu Bulu forward and driving the horn straight through its body. Blood sprayed violently, chunks of torn organs clinging to the bloodied spike.
BAM!
In its agony, Tapu Bulu's wooden hammer missed Mega Aggron entirely—instead smashing into Gengar.
The frail Ghost-type, struck by a desperate Champion's full-force blow, was instantly sent flying hundreds of meters, knocked unconscious on impact.
Gengar's interference bought Metagross a mere millisecond—but that was all it needed to deal a devastating blow to Tapu Bulu.
However, Gengar had paid a terrible price for it.
"Gengar!!"
Julian's eyes burned with rage and sorrow. He regretted it now—why did he insist on facing Tapu Bulu head-on? He should've just summoned Mewtwo from the start!
He quickly recalled Mega Aggron, who had reached its absolute limit—even lifting a finger was difficult for it now.
Slowking carried Julian to Gengar's side, where he immediately fed it a Revival Herb to stabilize its injuries before returning it to its Poké Ball.
"Bu… lu…"
Tapu Bulu clutched its abdomen, blood gushing even faster now that the horn had been torn free. Within moments, the ground beneath it was soaked crimson.
The island guardian was now critically weakened.
"Moltres, are you ready yet?!" Julian roared.
Right on cue, Moltres, who had been charging up the entire time, finally unleashed its attack—Overheat.
A searing, crimson inferno erupted, instantly raising the surrounding temperature by hundreds of degrees.
Under Tapu Bulu's despairing gaze, the flames of Overheat engulfed it completely, the blast piercing halfway across the island before finally crashing into the distant sea.
For ten full seconds, the world was nothing but fire.
When the flames finally dissipated, a charred, blackened Tapu Bulu lay collapsed on the ground—yet, unbelievably, it was still struggling to stand.
Somehow, it still hadn't fainted.
But its power had plummeted—no longer a Champion, but a pseudo-Champion now.
The Island's Power had completely faded from its body.
Even now, Tapu Bulu glared at Julian with pure hatred, as if it held a deep, personal grudge against him.
*****
Upto 30 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/ReduxMagister