"Paul, the day has finally come! Are you ready to be defeated?"
Before the person even arrived, Barry's familiar voice had already reached Paul's ears.
Following closely behind were Lucas, Barry, and Dawn, along with an unfamiliar man.
"How's your preparation, Paul? Barry has made quite a bit of progress over the past few days."
Barry's performance had even earned the recognition of the story's protagonist, Lucas, a testament to how much he had improved recently.
"The training results are acceptable."
Paul quietly recalled his Pokémon into their Poké Balls, deliberately avoiding any discussion about preparations for facing Barry. He simply responded with a vague remark about his training.
"Then I'll use this chance to wipe away my past defeat, Paul!"
"Oh? I'm looking forward to it."
Despite Barry's bold declaration, Paul's response remained indifferent.
"That attitude of yours…! Damn it, I'll make sure you pay for looking down on me! Hurry up and let's start the battle!"
Barry rushed toward an open battle area nearby, grabbing a Poké Ball with an eager expression.
"Mr. Palmer couldn't make it today, so this is his friend, a professional referee he arranged for us."
Dawn took the initiative to introduce the unfamiliar man.
"Yes, that's right. I'll be officiating the match today."
With that, the referee walked to the center of the battlefield and began setting up his equipment.
"Hold this for me, thanks."
Just before the battle started, Paul suddenly seemed to remember something. He approached Dawn and handed her an item before heading to his position opposite Barry.
"What?! You're recording this?!"
Dawn took a closer look—it was a phone with its recording function already activated. Paul had clearly assigned her the role of the camerawoman.
"…I just hope Barry doesn't lose too badly, or that Paul doesn't underestimate him. Otherwise, this footage will become a permanent black mark in history."
Lucas muttered to himself.
"Then should I not record it?" Dawn whispered.
Lucas, however, spoke with righteousness:
"Paul rarely asks us for help. How could we refuse? Record it properly, and send me a copy later."
"How could you—?!" Dawn gasped in disbelief before grinning.
"I'll keep a copy for myself, too."
The two exchanged knowing smiles.
On the battlefield, Paul and Barry stood opposite each other as the referee announced the match rules.
"This will be a full battle between Trainers Barry and Paul. Each Trainer may use six Pokémon. Both sides are free to switch Pokémon at any time. The match ends when all of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle. The last Trainer standing will be declared the winner."
"Both Trainers, send out your Pokémon!"
"Go, Rapidash!"
"Gabite, prepare for battle!"
Both Trainers simultaneously tossed their Poké Balls.
"Neeeeigh!"
"Gaaaaaa!"
The towering and muscular Rapidash stood proudly, flames blazing across its mane, while the cold sharp-eyed Gabite locked eyes with it from across the battlefield.
"Battle, begin!"
The moment the referee called for the match to start, both Trainers issued their commands.
"Dragon Dance!"
"Agility, then Flame Charge!"
Gabite immediately started swaying its body, boosting both its attack power and speed with Dragon Dance. However, Rapidash wasted no time, its entire body engulfed in flames as it launched forward in a fiery charge, moving so fast that it left afterimages in its wake.
In a flash, Rapidash closed the distance, slamming into Gabite before it could even finish executing Dragon Dance.
"Keep using Flame Charge!"
With the speed boost from the first Flame Charge, Rapidash's next movement was even faster. The moment Gabite landed and instinctively raised its arms to defend, Rapidash struck again.
Speed is power. With Agility boosting its movement and consecutive Flame Charges stacking its speed, Rapidash became an unstoppable force.
"Boom!"
Gabite's arms were forced apart as Rapidash's blazing horn rammed straight into its chest, knocking it back even further.
"The speed is just right now. Use Quick Attack, then Smart Strike—go, Rapidash!"
"Dig!"
Rapidash didn't slow down, its slender legs galloping across the battlefield with a golden gleam reflecting off its sharp horn as it charged forward like a bolt of lightning.
Realizing that Gabite was being completely overwhelmed in terms of speed, Paul didn't try to counter head-on. Instead, he made a decisive call—
Gabite suddenly leaped, twisting its body in midair before diving headfirst into the ground, disappearing into a tunnel of its own making.
"Don't stop—use Agility!"
Missing its attack, Rapidash whistled past the hole in the ground but didn't pause. Instead, it kept galloping across the battlefield, always preparing for its next strike.
"Neeeeigh~"
Rapidash responded, galloping across the ground with its speed maxed out from the final use of Agility.
As long as it remained on the field, it could close the distance in an instant.
"So, what do you think, Paul? How's my strategy?"
Barry grinned proudly at Paul. After discussing tactics with Lucas over the past few days, he had found his own battling style—creating a solid strategy, launching an all-out offensive, and never stopping.
Overwhelming his opponent with relentless attacks—that was how he planned to win.
"You've improved a little."
For the first time, Paul gave a rare compliment to Barry, his gaze turning more serious.
As an offensive trainer just like Ash, Barry used to be all over the place. Now, at least, he had some structure.
"But it's still not enough."
Against other Pokémon, Rapidash's strategy might work. But against a Gabite that could dig underground? Rapidash lacked a strong enough attack to force it out, whereas Gabite could not only power itself up beneath the surface… but also…
"Quicksand Hell—Sandstorm!"
At Paul's command, a large portion of the battlefield instantly collapsed, forming a swirling vortex of quicksand. Gabite's figure emerged right in the center.
As soon as it surfaced, Gabite openly began to summon a Sandstorm, a move it had mastered at the training facility. The violent winds kicked up a raging sandstorm.
"Neeeeigh~"
Even with its maxed-out speed, Rapidash hesitated, unwilling to leap recklessly into the deadly vortex.
"Right! Rapidash, use Fire Spin!"
Suddenly, as Barry saw that Paul had no intention of letting Gabite come out, an idea struck him.
"Neeeeigh~!"
Understanding the command, Rapidash endured the swirling sands and unleashed a vortex of flames into the Quicksand Hell.
In an instant, the entire quicksand pit transformed into a blazing inferno.
"Gaaaa…!"
Gabite gritted its teeth, standing firm in the fire completely unmoving.
"Tornado!"
At Paul's order, Gabite's eyes flashed fiercely, summoning a powerful whirlwind that merged with the raging Sandstorm. The fusion of the two attacks instantly snuffed out Rapidash's Fire Spin, transforming into a terrifying Quicksand Tornado that roared toward its opponent.
"Dodge it!"
Without hesitation, Rapidash pushed its speed to the limit, dashing to the opposite side of the battlefield in the blink of an eye.
"Outrage—Dragon Rush!"
Seizing the moment, Gabite adjusted its stance and leaped from the Quicksand Hell. Blood-red energy shrouded its body, a murderous aura erupting as it locked onto Rapidash. A massive blue dragon apparition emerged from its form, diving straight for its prey.
"Smart Strike—Quick Attack!"
Despite being locked onto by Gabite's killing intent, Rapidash suppressed the inexplicable fear rising within it. Gathering every ounce of strength, it charged straight toward the incoming predator.
BOOM!
In instant the two Pokémon collided, the sheer force of their impact triggered a massive explosion, sending them both flying backward.
"Earthquake—Stone Edge!"
The moment it landed, Gabite slammed the ground with its powerful claws. The battlefield trembled violently as jagged stone pillars shot toward Rapidash.
As Rapidash landed, it barely had time to regain its footing before a wave of exhaustion overtook its legs. A pained expression crossed its face, robbing it of the best chance to dodge.
Although it struggled to avoid the attack, the jagged rocks still struck its hind legs, flipping it over onto the ground.
"Earthquake—Draco Meteor!"
Rather than chasing after its opponent, Gabite triggered another Earthquake while launching a glowing energy sphere into the sky.
As the Dragon-type energy detonated, dozens of massive meteorites rained down.
Despite the pain, Rapidash rolled to its feet, only to be struck once more by the rippling Earthquake. Gritting its teeth, it dashed through the falling meteors, barely dodging them with its speed.
Barry knew this battle had reached its turning point.
After discussing strategies with Lucas, he had realized that Rapidash's offensive pressure was only effective at the beginning of the match—enough to catch Gabite off guard. But now that Gabite had adapted, it was nearly impossible to keep it suppressed.
With hesitation, Barry shouted:
"Rapidash! Overheat! Quick Attack! Flare Blitz!"
"Neeeeigh~!"
Having just evaded the entire barrage of Draco Meteors, Rapidash unleashed a blazing Overheat in one breath. Then, its flame-wrapped body transformed into a streak of light as it charged forward, utilizing the heat from Overheat to further amplify the power of Flare Blitz.
Flash Fire—Activated!
At this moment, Rapidash resembled a war god, burning with unyielding determination!
Yet, despite the surging killing intent in its eyes, Gabite remained unnervingly calm. Without hesitation, it burrowed underground using Dig to avoid the oncoming assault.
Rapidash, now ablaze with overwhelming momentum, continued its fiery rampage across the battlefield. However, as its energy waned and fatigue began to show, it unknowingly passed over a particular spot—
BOOM!
In an instant, the ambushing Gabite burst forth from the ground. Its claws radiated with a draconic glow as it unleashed Dragon Claw, striking Rapidash squarely and sending it flying.
"Thud!"
The moment Rapidash collided with the ground, dust and sand erupted into the air. As the Sandstorm gradually subsided, Rapidash lay motionless on the battlefield.
"Rapidash is unable to battle! Gabite is the winner!"
The referee's declaration echoed through the arena.
"Gaaaa..."
Gabite, its crimson eyes still gleaming with intensity, panted slightly as it returned to stand before Paul.
"Come back, Rapidash. You did well."
Barry recalled Rapidash, and offered a few words of reassurance.
From the days when it was instantly knocked out by Electabuzz in a single punch—
To now, where it could pressure Gabite at the start of the match with the right strategy—
Rapidash had shown tremendous growth.
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