Lorelei's Gym – Glacier Arena
The battlefield still trembled from the aftermath of Gyarados's Hyper Beam.
Steam hissed off shattered ice.
Skylar stood tall despite his exhaustion, heart hammering with controlled adrenaline.
Across the field, Lorelei silently threw her next PokéBall.
It burst open—
Revealing Cloyster.
A massive, spiked shell creature floated just above the ice, its shell gleaming like frozen obsidian.
Cold mist radiated from it.
And inside those jagged plates—bright, merciless eyes stared out.
Skylar wasted no time.
He unclipped another PokéBall.
"You're up, Arcanine!"
With a burst of flame and light, Arcanine landed beside him.
The massive fire-type snarled, steam pouring from his maw, his fur already beginning to glow against the cold.
Skylar knelt, hand against Arcanine's broad shoulder.
"This one's tough. Be patient. Break it down."
Arcanine nodded once.
The referee's flag dropped.
"Begin!"
Lorelei struck immediately.
"Cloyster—Icicle Spear!"
Cloyster's shell snapped open, and it launched a rapid series of razor-sharp ice bolts.
Skylar reacted instantly.
"Agility! Dodge pattern alpha!"
Arcanine blurred into motion, weaving through the projectiles with blistering speed, his paws barely touching the ice.
The spears shattered harmlessly behind him.
Skylar narrowed his eyes.
Cloyster's shell was an impregnable fortress.
Direct fire attacks would barely scratch it.
He needed to think—not just hit harder.
He snapped his fingers.
"Flare Blitz—aim for mobility, not direct!"
Arcanine roared.
His entire body ignited in swirling flame.
He dashed forward—not directly at Cloyster, but skimming around it at high speed.
The superheated air distorted the ice beneath them, creating uneven terrain, steam, and loose patches.
Cloyster's aim faltered, its spear attacks losing precision.
Lorelei's eyes narrowed slightly.
She understood immediately.
Skylar wasn't trying to beat Cloyster's shell.
He was targeting its stability.
"Cloyster—Withdraw and rotate!" Lorelei commanded.
Cloyster snapped its shell tighter and began spinning slowly, using momentum to stabilize itself over the fractured ice.
Skylar clicked his tongue.
She's good.
But he was ready.
"Arcanine—Close Combat, right hinge!"
Arcanine closed the distance in a blur.
He didn't attack the thick shell directly.
Instead, he launched a series of rapid, vicious strikes at the small, vulnerable joints where Cloyster's halves met.
The impacts reverberated through the arena—sharp cracks of force against reinforced ice.
Cloyster shuddered, its rotation slowing.
Its shell flinched open a fraction.
Skylar's heart leapt.
A crack in the armor.
Lorelei reacted coolly.
"Cloyster—Shell Smash."
The arena darkened.
Cloyster's shell glowed and fractured slightly, splitting along reinforced edges.
Skylar knew what that meant.
Shell Smash lowered Cloyster's defenses—but doubled its attack and speed.
The stakes just skyrocketed.
Cloyster whipped forward, faster than before.
A devastating Icicle Spear barrage fired at Arcanine.
Even with Agility, dodging was harder now.
One spear grazed Arcanine's side, slicing a deep line across his fur.
Blood spattered the ice.
Skylar clenched his fists.
"Hold steady!"
Arcanine growled low but didn't falter.
Skylar analyzed fast.
Shell Smash made Cloyster vulnerable—but only if he could land a finishing blow fast.
The longer this dragged out, the worse it would get.
Skylar called sharply:
"Wild Charge—NOW!"
Arcanine roared.
Electricity exploded around him, crackling violently against the mist.
He lowered his head—and sprinted.
The ground beneath him shattered from the force of his acceleration.
He struck Cloyster dead-on, the impact like a thunderclap.
Sparks exploded across the arena.
Cloyster shrieked, spinning wildly through the air—
And crashed hard into a glacier wall.
Cracks spiderwebbed out from the impact.
The field went silent.
Skylar waited, breathing hard.
The referee stepped forward.
Cloyster's shell trembled once—
Then went still.
The flag raised.
"Cloyster is unable to battle! Victory to Arcanine!"
Skylar exhaled a long, slow breath.
His heart pounded.
His arm trembled slightly from tension.
Across the field, Lorelei gave the faintest approving nod.
Skylar knelt and hugged Arcanine tightly around the neck.
"You did it, boy. You did it."
Arcanine panted heavily, but licked Skylar's face once before collapsing to his side to rest.
Skylar returned him to his PokéBall gently.
Across the arena, Lorelei prepared her next PokéBall.
A low rumble echoed from her hand.
Skylar narrowed his eyes.
"It's not over yet. Not even close."
The battlefield shifted as a new threat emerged from the mist:
Lapras.
Majestic.
Ancient.
And utterly merciless on the ice.