Reversal: An attack executed with all one's might. The less HP the user has, the more powerful this move becomes.
Riolu had just used Endure to survive Mega Gyarados's Hyper Beam.
At this moment, it had barely any strength left. In game terms, it was down to just 1 HP.
The power of Reversal is directly based on the user's remaining HP.
"I remember looking up information about this move in my previous life," Eddie thought, recalling the details from when Riolu first learned the move.
This move reaches its maximum power when the user's HP is at its lowest.
Riolu's current condition perfectly satisfied this requirement. As for the power level?
If Eddie remembered correctly, it exceeded even Hyper Beam's power index of 150. Reversal's power index at minimum HP: 200.
Additionally, since Reversal was a Fighting-type move and Riolu was a Fighting-type Pokémon, it received a Same-Type Attack Bonus of 1.5 times, bringing the power to 300.
Mega Gyarados was a Water/Dark-type, and Dark-type Pokémon take double damage from Fighting-type moves.
So, in summary, Mega Gyarados—already weakened and paralyzed—was about to receive an attack with an effective power index of 600. This move was four times more powerful than Hyper Beam!
"ROOOOAR!!!"
With an agonized cry, Mega Gyarados was sent flying.
Even though Misty was battling against Eddie, she could hardly believe the scene unfolding before her eyes.
The 0.7-meter-tall Riolu had knocked the 6.5-meter-tall Mega Gyarados away with a single punch. Judging by Mega Gyarados's pained roar, the damage had been devastatingly high.
The punch not only sent Mega Gyarados flying but also forced it out of its Mega Evolved state.
Yes, Mega Gyarados reverted to its original form mid-air, transforming back into a regular Gyarados.
"CRASH!!!"
Gyarados's massive body crashed to the ground. The spot where Riolu's punch had connected was visibly sunken.
Foam bubbled from its mouth, and its eyes swirled dizzily. It had clearly fainted and lost all ability to battle.
"Ding! Riolu gained experience! Level +1! Reached Lv34!"
"Ding! Grovyle gained experience! Level +1! Reached Lv34!"
"Ding! Charmeleon gained experience! Level +1! Reached Lv34!"
"Ding! Frogadier gained experience! Level +1! Reached Lv34!"
"Ding! You defeated Gym Leader Misty and received 30,000 PokéDollars, Black Belt, and the TM for Focus Blast!"
"Nice! The Black Belt is a held item that boosts the power of Fighting-type moves, and Focus Blast is a powerful ranged Fighting-type move. Both will be perfect for Riolu."
Eddie was very satisfied with his rewards. It was remarkable how each prize seemed perfectly suited to his current situation, almost as if the game itself was cooperating with him.
"So it was Reversal. Yes, only such a move could allow your Riolu to defeat Mega Gyarados in one blow under these circumstances."
"This Gym battle is your victory. This Cascade Badge is well-deserved."
Misty recalled her Gyarados, walked over to Eddie, and handed him the water-drop-shaped Cascade Badge.
At the same time, the Badge leaderboard updated:
Badge Leaderboard:
First place: Morning Sun - 2 Badges (Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge)
Second place: Dream Girl - 1 Badge (Boulder Badge)
Third place: LevelBoss - 1 Badge (Boulder Badge)
Fourth place: None
At Mt. Moon, the players "Dream Girl" and "LevelBoss" were grinding levels while constantly checking the various rankings.
They paid particular attention to the Badge leaderboard. After all, it was their only hope of surpassing the godlike player "Morning Sun."
Yes, Eddie's username had been given the honorary title of "godlike player" by the general playerbase. After all, they couldn't keep calling him "the boss" or something similar. Calling him a "cheater" would just sound bitter.
So when some player's mind sparked with inspiration, they directly called him "godlike player," and the nickname stuck. Most people recognized it as fitting, since Eddie's progress and abilities were beyond what even professional or genius players could achieve.
Since his accomplishments seemed beyond human capability, there appeared to be nothing wrong with calling him a "godlike player." And so the title spread. Regardless of how people felt about Morning Sun personally, they all referred to him this way.
"Argh!!! This Morning Sun! He's already earned the second badge!!!"
"Why is he so fast? I've been leveling up at top speed in Mt. Moon, but he's already reached the second Gym city. Can he fly or something?"
"He got the first badge on the server's opening day, and the second badge on the third day. Maybe the title 'godlike player' really is accurate!"
Dream Girl and LevelBoss were deep in Mt. Moon, with only each other for company, and they couldn't help but vent their frustrations. They were unwilling to fall behind, but Morning Sun was simply too far ahead.
They could only rage silently while metaphorically eating sour lemons.
As the top players second only to Eddie, if even they were feeling bitter, the ordinary players were having an absolute meltdown. The game forums were already buzzing with activity.
Eddie seemed to sense the uproar and surprise of some players, but he paid it no mind.
The gap between him and the others had grown too large, so he no longer needed to concern himself with their progress.
"Your potential and strength are beyond my imagination," Misty said with a sigh. "I believe you'll reach at least Elite Four level in the future."
As a Gym Leader, Misty was slightly stronger than Brock, but she would only reach near-Elite Four level in the future.
Looking at Eddie, whose minimum future achievement would be Elite Four level, she couldn't help but feel envious.
"While I appreciate the compliment, the strength of an Elite Four member won't satisfy me."
Eddie was modest in most respects, but he had always been extremely confident in his future potential.
He had been Champion-level in his previous life, and now, after being reborn with many advantages due to his knowledge of the game mechanics, he would only grow stronger faster in this life. When he became a Champion-level trainer, he would challenge the master level and become the strongest in the world!
"Not satisfied with Elite Four level? Should I call that confidence or arrogance? But I must admit, you do have the strength and potential to back it up."
Facing such determination from Eddie, Misty could only envy him.
But these were just passing thoughts. With her cheerful personality, she didn't dwell on such matters for long.
"The Gym battle is over. Are you leaving now?"
Misty suddenly remembered what Eddie had mentioned the previous night and felt a twinge of disappointment.
Having finally found a person of the opposite sex whom she liked, she hadn't expected them to part ways after less than two days together.
No matter how upbeat Misty normally was, she couldn't help feeling a bit down at this moment.
"Why do you have to leave so soon? Couldn't you stay for a day or two to recover?"
Misty had hoped to defeat Eddie with her Mega Gyarados.
Then she could have used the excuse of "You haven't even defeated me and earned the Cascade Badge yet, and you're already planning to leave?" to keep him around for a week or so.
But Eddie had defeated her quite handily.
Although Misty had made some tactical errors toward the end, Eddie still wouldn't have defeated her if he hadn't been genuinely strong.
Yet Eddie was so powerful that he didn't even need to use his third Pokémon, defeating Misty with just two.
"When I set out on my journey, many rookie trainers like me also began their adventures. I can't pause just for comfort, or they'll easily catch up to me."
Eddie wouldn't abandon his plans because of Misty's words. Besides, if he rested for a day or two, he would likely miss numerous opportunities.
As mentioned earlier, many hidden quests were unique. After a player discovered and accepted a hidden quest, subsequent trainers would find nothing.
Eddie moved so quickly for two reasons: to become stronger rapidly, and to claim all the known hidden quests before other players could find them.
"Is that so? Even though you're much stronger than others, you still won't take a break? Perhaps this is why you've become so strong."
"Alright, I won't try to persuade you anymore, but it's almost noon now. You should at least have lunch at my place before leaving."
Hearing his reasoning, Misty felt that Eddie's exceptional strength made more sense, and she realized her behavior had been somewhat selfish. She stopped trying to convince him to stay, though she still hoped to keep him around for at least one meal.
Eddie didn't object to this suggestion. After all, his Pokémon needed to rest, so having lunch before departing made perfect sense.