Protect was one of the most essential defensive moves in the Pokémon world.
Nearly 99% of all Pokémon could learn it through a TM, and it wasn’t particularly difficult to master.
Even Pokémon with average talent could usually learn it after using the TM four or five times.
Protect possessed one of the highest defensive ceilings of any move.
When two Pokémon of equal strength clashed, even a powerful Hyper Beam might fail to break through the barrier created by Protect.
As a life-saving move, it had incredible versatility.
However…
It came with one major drawback.
It couldn’t be used repeatedly without consequence.
The first use had a 100% success rate.
The second dropped to 50%.
The third fell again to 25%.
Each consecutive use halved its chance of succeeding.
Unless a Trainer was incredibly lucky, attempting a third consecutive Protect was usually a terrible idea.
Some unlucky Trainers even failed on their second attempt.
— Piplup’s Protect successfully blocked Beldum’s Zen Headbutt, allowing Wang Xi to breathe a sigh of relief.
The impact from Beldum’s attack had been so powerful that she had genuinely feared the protective barrier would shatter.
Fortunately…
Its power hadn’t quite reached that level.
Or so she thought.
— Crack…
A faint sound echoed through the battlefield.
No one else noticed it.
But Piplup did.
Looking at the shimmering barrier surrounding itself, it saw a tiny crack spreading across its surface.
The fracture rapidly widened before its eyes.
“Piplup!” Its instincts immediately kicked in.
Without waiting for Wang Xi’s command, Piplup launched its next attack.
A freezing stream of water burst forward like a silver serpent.
Chilling Water!
— Crack!
At that exact moment…
Protect finally shattered.
Beldum’s Zen Headbutt smashed into the incoming Chilling Water.
Although it broke through the barrier, the remaining momentum had weakened considerably.
The icy torrent forced Beldum backward by more than ten meters.
After piercing Protect, Zen Headbutt no longer possessed enough force to overpower Chilling Water completely.
— “Piplup is amazing!” Wang Xi finally relaxed.
Thankfully, Piplup had reacted quickly enough.
Its battle instincts were exceptional.
“Piplup!” Hearing its Trainer’s praise, Piplup proudly lifted its head and puffed out its chest as if saying, “Keep complimenting me!” “I like it!” — “Piplup!” “Keep up the pressure!” “Maximum-power Water Gun!” This was the perfect opportunity.
Beldum had just been pushed back.
Moreover…
The secondary effect of Chilling Water should have lowered Beldum’s Attack.
A much thicker stream of water erupted from Piplup’s mouth.
The spectators immediately noticed the difference.
“That Water Gun is much stronger than before.” “It must be holding a Water Gem.” A Battle Club staff member spoke up.
A Water Gem was a valuable held item capable of enhancing the power of a single Water-type move.
The increase depended on the quality of the gem.
Top-grade Water Gems could double the move’s power.
Legendary-quality gems had even been recorded tripling its strength, though treasures like that were almost impossible to obtain.
Even an ordinary Water Gem capable of increasing damage by 50% was worth several hundred thousand Daxia Coins.
— “Boss?” “What are you doing here?” One of the staff members turned around in surprise.
Standing behind them was the owner of the Battle Club himself.
The club owner, Li Zhongfeng, was a peak Quasi-Elite Trainer.
He rarely visited the club in person.
So why had he suddenly appeared today?
Li Zhongfeng smiled.
“A Shiny Beldum has come to my club.” “How could I possibly miss that?” His gaze remained fixed on the battlefield.
“As expected…” “The grandson of Elite Xia truly lives up to his reputation.” — On the battlefield…
Beldum had barely stabilized itself after being pushed back when the enhanced Water Gun rushed toward it.
“Zen Headbutt.” Adrian Sterling spoke calmly.
It was as if he hadn’t even noticed the empowered attack.
Of course…
He had noticed it.
He simply didn’t care.
Beldum possessed the Clear Body Ability.
Any secondary effect that attempted to lower its stats was completely nullified.
The Attack reduction from Chilling Water had never taken effect.
— A powerful magnetic force burst from Beldum’s body.
Even Beldum itself had become impatient.
It had defeated the previous nine opponents with ease.
Why was this one taking so long?
This was embarrassing.
Just go down already.
— Boom!
Beldum shot forward like a rocket.
Its speed increased dramatically.
The silver meteor smashed headfirst into the incoming Water Gun.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
It continued advancing…
Pushing directly through the torrent.
— “Piplup!!” Wang Xi shouted with all her strength.
Unfortunately…
Real battles weren’t stories.
A Trainer’s voice alone couldn’t magically make their Pokémon become stronger.
Nor could shouting restore a Pokémon that had already reached its limit.
— Crash!
Zen Headbutt completely shattered the Water Gun.
In Piplup’s widening eyes…
Beldum’s smooth metallic forehead rapidly filled its entire vision.
A moment later…
Bang!
Piplup was sent flying across the battlefield.
The hovering Rotom referee immediately announced, “Piplup is unable to battle.” “Beldum wins.” — Ding!
At the same time…
The System’s familiar notification echoed inside Adrian’s mind.
Daily Mission Completed.
The rewards were instantly distributed.
– 200 System Points – Beldum’s Special Attack +1 — “Well done.” Adrian smiled gently as Beldum floated back to him.
He stroked its smooth metallic body before taking a Magnet from his pocket and handing it over.
Although Beldum had suffered very little damage during its ten consecutive battles…
The constant exertion had consumed a considerable amount of stamina.
The Magnet quickly restored much of its lost energy.
Hearing Adrian’s praise…
Beldum happily narrowed its eyes.
— “What an incredible Pokémon.” “It won ten consecutive battles without a single defeat.” “I have to upload this to Douyin.” “A video of a Shiny Beldum is guaranteed to go viral.” “So he’s actually Elite Xia’s grandson?” “Why have we never heard about him before?” “Elite Xia has hidden his grandson remarkably well.” — The appearance of Adrian’s Shiny Beldum, combined with his age, allowed almost everyone present to guess his identity.
To ordinary people…
They knew that Xia Wudao had one son and one daughter.
His son, Xia Qianli, served as the President of the Liujin Province Trainer Association and was the nation’s Steel-type Gym Leader.
His daughter was the youngest recipient of the prestigious Arceus Award.
However…
Very few people knew anything about Xia Wudao’s grandchildren.
Even though Xia Yan had already been a Trainer for several years, most ordinary citizens had no idea who she really was.
Only members of powerful Trainer families knew her identity.
The main reason was simple.
Her Metagross wasn’t Shiny.
It possessed the normal coloration.
— It wasn’t because Xia Wudao or Xia Qianli had been unwilling to give her one.
At the time…
Both of their Metagross were in the middle of critical breakthroughs.
Neither could safely divide.
As a result…
They could only give Xia Yan a normal-colored Beldum.
Later…
Once a Shiny Beldum became available, they offered it to her.
She refused.
By then…
She had already formed an inseparable bond with her original partner.
She had no intention of replacing it.
— Many Trainers throughout the world owned Metagross.
But only those carrying a Shiny Metagross were instantly recognized as members of the Xia Family.
The moment Adrian revealed his Shiny Beldum…
His identity became impossible to hide.
In truth…
The Xia Family had never intended to conceal him.
With his Perfect Steel Heart, Adrian Sterling was destined to become one of the family’s greatest prodigies.
Given the Xia Family’s overwhelming influence…
There was never any reason for him to hide his brilliance.
Give me more motivation!