Pokemon: Spiritual Master-Chapter 507: "The Dragon-Traitor"

"Altaria, the Humming Pokémon. A Dragon- and Flying-type whose clear, melodic voice can enchant anyone who hears it—Loto!"

Its sky-blue body floated in, wings resembling fluffy clouds or soft cotton. Its head feathers and tail tips were elegantly long.

"Sing—!!"

An ethereal and beautiful song echoed through the arena, and its graceful figure captured everyone's gaze.

Altaria's looks alone could easily place it among the most beautiful Pokémon in the world. Even in Johan's past life, there was a dedicated fanbase for Altaria—despite the slightly teasing nickname it had earned.

It might have seemed mismatched with Drayden's rugged look, but Altaria was one of his more iconic partners—part of his main team.

"That's Principal Drayden's Altaria!"

"So pretty..."

"I want to hug it—it must be as soft as marshmallows!"

The students were clearly very familiar with this Pokémon.

As Altaria entered the field, a Poké Ball at Johan's waist shook eagerly. He didn't need to look—he already knew which Pokémon was excited.

Chuckling to himself, he tossed the ball.

"You're up, Tinkaton!"

"Cha!"

With a flash, the pink twin-tailed girl wielding a massive hammer landed on the field, her eyes glittering as she looked up at the bird above.

Hey! Big bird!

Though Tinkaton wasn't as obsessed with "bird-bashing" as she used to be, the instinct was still there. Her love for smashing birds made her the perfect choice for this matchup—especially since Johan trained his Pokémon according to their personalities and interests.

Of course, the type advantage didn't hurt either.

"Tinkaton from the Paldea region—Fairy and Steel-type Pokémon. It holds a huge type advantage," Alder explained for the many students unfamiliar with her.

Fairy-type!?

The moment that word was spoken, the students—including Iris—tensed up.

She knew well what Fairy-type meant for Dragon-types: immunity to Dragon moves!

This already placed Tinkaton in an unshakable position.

How was Grandpa Drayden going to fight this?

Iri's gaze drifted to Drayden and Altaria, her heart filled with worry.

Drayden locked eyes with Johan and Tinkaton. Then he spoke:

"Even in an academy setting, it's entirely possible to build deep bonds and trust with your Pokémon."

Johan nodded.

Bonds didn't need to be forged only through dangerous journeys. They existed in everyday life. Anyone—human or Pokémon—could form them.

It's just that travelers usually experienced more, and so their bonds often went deeper.

That was Drayden's message to the students.

And when he said it, Johan realized exactly what Drayden was planning.

"Of course," he thought to himself.

Drayden touched a green, diamond-shaped gem on his collar. Light glinted off it, revealing a multicolored orb inside.

A Key Stone.

Drayden smiled faintly for the first time.

"Altaria, Mega Evolve!!"

BZZZZ—

"Siiiing—!!"

Altaria erupted in a prism of radiant energy, cocooned in light.

Mega Evolution!!

Gasps filled the arena.

The very person who first revealed Mega Evolution to the world was standing on one side of the battlefield—Professor Johan.

And now, their own Principal Drayden was using it too!

"Now it's getting interesting," Alder murmured with a smile.

As the rainbow light faded, Mega Altaria was revealed.

Its colors softened, its feathery wings grew even fluffier and denser, with a lustrous pearly sheen. Its tail longer, its voice even more entrancing.

This was Mega Altaria.

Many didn't fully understand its stats, abilities, or even its typing. To them—and many others—Drayden's move was an unexpected twist.

But Johan had a peculiar look on his face.

Of course. The "Dragon-Traitor"—Mega Altaria.

Why the nickname?

Because post-evolution, Altaria gained the Fairy type. A Dragon Pokémon that also became Fairy—essentially the ultimate anti-Dragon Pokémon.

And its ability?

Pixilate.

[Pixilate: Normal-type moves become Fairy-type and get a power boost.]

A Dragon Pokémon with a Fairy type and Pixilate? It was practically born to slay its own kind.

But for Tinkaton? This wasn't necessarily bad news.

Now she had double advantage—both Fairy and Steel against Altaria's Dragon/Fairy.

"Cha!! (Д)σ"

Tinkaton pointed at the newly evolved Altaria and called out to Johan.

It's even bigger now!

Her excited expression made Johan rub his forehead.

The battle resumed.

"Altaria, Hyper Voice!" Drayden ordered.

"Sing—!!"

Despite its delicate appearance, Altaria released a deafening roar. Waves of pink sound rippled through the air, unrelenting.

Huh?!

The students looked shocked.

Why did a Normal-type move suddenly become Fairy-type?

Alder was quick to clarify.

"It's Pixilate—Mega Altaria's ability!"

Fairy-type Hyper Voice!?

Dragon Pokémon with Fairy-type moves? The kids were floored.

But Johan and Tinkaton had no hesitation.

When you see a bird—what do you do?

Smash it.

WHOOSH WHOOSH—

As Altaria bellowed mid-air, a spinning hammer grew larger in its eyes.

Wait, what!?

A thrown hammer?!

"Dodge it!"

Drayden reacted quickly.

Altaria pulled back, tucked in its wings, and tried to evade.

In theory, it had aerial advantage. Tinkaton shouldn't have been able to hit it.

But...

Altaria dodged the hammer.

Only to fly straight into Tinkaton's charge path.

She caught the hammer mid-air and swung hard.

Gigaton Hammer!

No escape.

Drayden knew this one was landing.

So—

"If you can't dodge it—clash with it! Giga Impact!"

Pixilate-boosted Giga Impact!

"Gigaton Hammer vs. Pixilate-boosted Giga Impact?" Alder's eyes lit up. The students all clenched their fists.

BOOM!!

The whole stadium trembled.

Altaria's eyes widened as it hit the hammer.

So heavy?!

That was Pixilate-enhanced Giga Impact—one of the strongest possible moves.

But Tinkaton?

She was all about brute strength.

Even Urshifu might lose in a pure power contest.

Altaria was sent crashing into the ground, embedding deep into it, cracks spidering across the arena floor.

RUMBLE—

The students stared in awe.

Drayden had even used Mega Evolution—was he still going to lose?

To the veterans watching—Johan, Drayden, Alder—it wasn't a surprise.

From the moment Drayden sent out Altaria and Johan chose Tinkaton, the outcome had been halfway decided.

Tinkaton was just too good a counter.

Drayden had hoped to keep distance, avoid a direct brawl—but Johan had trained Tinkaton to hunt birds.

This was no accident.

Also, Johan had predicted the Mega Evolution.

If he had used Dragonite here, the match might've gone differently.

Ultimately, in both battles, Johan held a clear advantage in information.

WHIRRR—

Mega energy dispersed like threads of silk.

Altaria staggered back into the air.

But Drayden wasn't fully practiced with Mega Evolution. It had only recently become public knowledge.

The rest of the battle was mostly decided.

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Even without another Gigaton Hammer, Tinkaton bulldozed her way through Dragon Pulse and landed the finishing blow.

"Altaria is unable to battle. The winner is... Professor Johan!"

The students had somewhat expected this, but it was hard to cheer—Drayden was their principal.

Still, Johan had shown them two completely different kinds of battles.

Dragonite vs. Haxorus: Bond defeated tactics.

Tinkaton vs. Altaria: Strategy defeated bond.

Both styles had merit.

The conclusion?

Academy-style and traveler-style each held promise—and the ideal path was a fusion of both.

School vs. experience. Reality vs. ideal. Like black and white, each needed the other.

Like Opelucid City itself.

CLAP CLAP CLAP—

Alder started applauding.

CLAP CLAP CLAP—

The stadium filled with applause—not just for Johan's victory, but for Drayden as well.

This battle?

A perfect lesson—delivered through teamwork between two masterful teachers.

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Powerstones?

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