Chapter 75 75: Power Is the Reason One Becomes King
"Ponii…"
Through the gap in her mask, Ogerpon saw the overwhelming wave of energy surging toward her.
She could strike now.
Even if her power hadn't fully peaked, with her mastery over the Ivy Cudgel, she could still tear through the storm and reach Volcanion.
But—
There was no need.
This attack…
Wasn't worth dodging.
Boom!!
"What—?!"
Kimia, the watching Pokémon, and Magearna alike were stunned.
Because—
"It… it was blocked…"
That violent torrent of energy—
Had been stopped.
Between Ogerpon and the attack—
Stood the Terastallized masks.
First the Teal Mask.
Then the Wellspring Mask.
Then the Hearthflame Mask.
Three masks—
Like three fortified walls—
Intercepting everything.
"Crack!"
"Crack—crack—!!"
But this was Volcanion's full-powered Steam Eruption.
Even Terastallized masks—
Couldn't withstand it completely.
They began to shatter.
Fragments of crystalline energy scattered like rain—
Falling around Ogerpon.
Yet—Those fragments weren't wasted.
They were absorbed—
Converted into strength—
Boosting her Attack and Speed.
Still—
Not all the masks were destroyed.
The Wellspring Mask remained.
And its blue glow—
Burned even brighter than before.
"That's Water Absorb!"
From above, where Gardevoir had taken her to safety, Kimia cried out.
Exactly.
Ogerpon's unique Terastal state—
Transferred her traits into the masks themselves.
The Teal Mask and Hearthflame Mask—
Already shattered—
Returning to their original effect:
+1 Speed
+1 Attack
But the Wellspring Mask—
With its Water Absorb ability—
Was actively absorbing the energy of Steam Eruption.
Unfortunately—
The attack was too strong.
Even Terastallized—
It could only absorb a fraction.
The remaining force—
Crushed into the Cornerstone Mask.
"Crack—!"
"Rumble—!"
The Cornerstone Mask broke again and again—
Until only a single fragment remained—
Just enough—
To shield Ogerpon.
And yet—
It didn't break.
It refused to break.
Like an unyielding reef—It held.
Sturdy.
No matter the attack—
It would never be destroyed in one blow.
It would always leave behind—
One final piece—
To protect.
"Whoosh!"
At last—Its duty complete—
That final fragment dissolved into light.
Ogerpon's Defense rose by 1 stage.
Ogerpon's Sp. Def rose by 1 stage.
The last to fade—Was the Wellspring Mask.
Dismissed by Ogerpon herself.
She didn't need it anymore.
This battle—Was ending.
"Boom—"
She raised her weapon.
A towering Ivy Cudgel—
Over a hundred meters tall—
Piercing toward the heavens.
Though made of energy—
It carried the weight of a thousand armies.
Yet in her hands—
It was as light as air.
"Ponii…"
She gripped it tightly.
Then—Swung.
No flashy technique.
No gimmicks.
Before absolute numbers—
All tricks become meaningless.
What Ogerpon displayed—
Was pure, unfiltered violence.
RUMBLE!!!
The mere motion of the cudgel—
Generated winds fiercer than Steam Eruption.
And when it descended—
It felt as if the sky itself collapsed.
Not metaphor.
Reality.
The earth shook.
The land split.
On this day—
On the Nebel Plateau—
Ogerpon showed them—
What the power of a god looked like.
"Power… is the reason one becomes king."
For some reason—
That thought surfaced in Sora's mind.
"Gulp…"
Volcanion—Was still standing.
But the arrogance in its eyes—Was gone.
All that remained—Was fear.
Ahead of it—
The lake had vanished.
The mountain behind it—
Cracked and crumbling.
If that strike had truly landed—
Everything would've been gone.
"I win."
The Ivy Cudgel faded.
Ogerpon returned to normal.
She hadn't struck.
Because she knew—If that blow landed—
With a 16× amplification—
And a critical hit—
Volcanion might not survive.
Even if it lived—Its very essence would be damaged.
Pokémon were hard to kill.
Especially powerful ones.
But damaging their life foundation—
Was another matter entirely.
Like Alder's Volcarona.
Volcanion—
Had just narrowly avoided that fate.
"…I lost."
Whether it was her overwhelming power—
Or her restraint—
Volcanion accepted it completely.
This defeat—It accepted wholeheartedly.
"Ugh—cough—!"
Meanwhile—
Sora didn't even have time to celebrate.
The exhaustion hit.
First dizziness.
Then nausea.
Then numbness spreading through his body.
"Ponii!!!"
"Bini!!"
Ogerpon rushed over in panic—
Her fierce aura gone—
Replaced by pure worry.
Victini was faster.
Immediately channeling its all-purpose energy—
Restoring Sora's drained body and mind.
—------------------------------
Pat reon Advance Chapters: /YonkoSlayer