"Attract!"
Rosa's voice rang out just as a flurry of pink hearts sparkled from Serperior's piercing gaze, drifting toward the relaxed and unsuspecting Ursaluna.
The moment Attract hit, the crimson gleam in Ursaluna's eyes faded. Hearts bubbled up in their place and in its dazed mind, Serperior's elegant figure became all it could see.
"Break through it!" Paul's voice cut through the battlefield.
Most Pokémon once hit by Attract, would be left helpless—frozen in affection. But Ursaluna was different.
While the powerful Samurott was known for training its mind under Ninetales' guidance, it wasn't the only one. Paul regularly had Ninetales coach his entire team in resisting status conditions, especially psychological ones like Confusion and Attract. It was a core part of their regimen.
For Ursaluna, who possessed the Guts Ability and had mastered the move Endure, even a burn could serve to rouse its savage instincts. This battle state similar to a bloodline reawakening, allowed it to forcefully cast off conditions like Confusion or Infatuation.
So, just as Serperior began to serenely charge up a Solar Beam, confident that its Attract had succeeded, the red in Ursaluna's eyes flared back to life—brighter and bloodier than before.
With a roar, its massive body lunged forward like a freight train, barreling straight toward Serperior.
"Hisss!"
Startled, Serperior instinctively fired off the half-charged Solar Beam. But the energy barely made it past Ursaluna's bulk before it was completely torn apart by the sheer force of Ursaluna's forward momentum. It charged ahead, utterly undeterred.
Rosa shouted in alarm, "Dodge it—now!"
A normal Pokémon wouldn't have stood a chance at evading at such close range. But Serperior wasn't ordinary. With its signature serpentine agility what Paul privately called "shed-skin footwork", Serperior twisted mid-air, dodging gracefully, then retaliated with a sweeping Twister that sucked Ursaluna into a vortex.
Unfortunately for Rosa, Twister did little to slow Ursaluna down. With a single forceful paw swipe, Ursaluna tore the whirlwind apart like tissue paper.
"Now, Stomping Tantrum and Focus Blast!" Paul commanded calmly.
"Ursaah!"
Ursaluna slammed its feet into the ground with a thunderous stomp, triggering Stomping Tantrum while hurling a Focus Blast from its paw.
"Evade!"
Rosa gave the order without hesitation. Serperior sprang upward in a beautiful arc, twisting mid-air with the grace of a ribbon dancer narrowly dodging the blast. It fired back with Leaf Storm, its leafy vortex surging toward Ursaluna.
"Rock Tomb—change the terrain!" Paul countered.
Ursaluna's heavy stomp summoned a towering wall of stone that intercepted the Leaf Storm. All across the battlefield, a rain of jagged rocks began to fall. The once-smooth beach now erupted with bizarrely shaped stones, reshaping the terrain into a chaotic, uneven battlefield.
"It's no use! Serperior, keep dodging!"
Serperior coiled and twisted with supreme agility, weaving through the barrage of rocks with ease. It even found a window to fire off a Solar Beam toward Ursaluna. Though the blast didn't deal significant damage, it still cost Ursaluna some stamina.
But the moment Serperior touched down, a powerful tremor surged up through its body. A jolt of intense pain mixed with numbing shockwaves slowed it down noticeably.
"Stomping Tantrum has been going this whole time?" Rosa murmured, her eyes narrowing as she finally noticed the faint continuous rumbling underfoot.
Ursaluna had been controlling the tremors exceptionally well, the vibrations were subtle enough that Rosa hadn't realized the Ground-type move had been active all along.
Ordinarily, Stomping Tantrum wouldn't be too threatening to Serperior due to type resistance. But the speed reduction effect was a different story, an absolute counter to Serperior's evasive maneuvering.
Yes, Serperior's serpentine agility was formidable, but if Ursaluna had already shaved down its speed enough, could it really crawl and weave through this battlefield?
Especially not here on terrain already distorted and destabilized by Ursaluna's relentless stomping. Serperior simply couldn't maneuver effectively under these conditions.
What's more, Ursaluna's attack power had been maxed out, bolstered by both Belly Drum and Guts!
If they kept battling on the field like this, even a higher-leveled Serperior wouldn't last long under Ursaluna's overwhelming pressure.
"Frenzy Plant!" Rosa ordered without hesitation.
"Hisss!"
Serperior let out a cry, its body flashing with a burst of white light. In the next instant, colossal vines erupted from the earth—so massive they blotted out the sky. The vines tore through the warped battlefield that Ursaluna had shaped, smashing everything into disarray before surging straight toward the hulking bear.
Empowered by continuous Growth, this Frenzy Plant was on a whole different level than before. Even Ursaluna might not be able to take more than a couple hits from it.
But Ursaluna didn't flinch at the sight of the oncoming vines. Not even a hint of fear crossed its eyes—instead, they gleamed with an intense crimson light, so vivid it seemed to take physical form. Blazing flames erupted from its body.
In that moment, all of Ursaluna's fury, savagery, brutality, and excitement fused into one unstoppable inferno, burning higher and hotter, threatening to incinerate everything in its path.
"Giga Impact!"
The bear, now cloaked in fire like a miniature sun, hurled itself straight at Serperior.
Everything in its path—plants, rocks, even the very air was scorched into shimmering particles before even making contact with the beast. The sheer heat radiating from Ursaluna was obliterating the battlefield ahead of it.
Even if Serperior managed a last-minute sidestep using its famed evasiveness, it would still suffer catastrophic damage.
"Protect! Now!" Rosa shouted urgently.
"Hisss~!"
Serperior coiled tightly, conjuring a near-unpassable barrier of green light around itself—Protect.
A moment later, the blazing comet that was Ursaluna slammed into the shimmering shield like a sun crashing into a force field.
"BOOM!"
A thunderous explosion erupted as the roaring impact echoed across the battlefield. At the heart of the blast, searing crimson flames collided with a glowing green shield, neither side giving an inch.
"URSAAH—!!"
But then came Ursaluna's furious roar. The inferno engulfing its massive frame suddenly intensified. Under the terrifying heat, the protective barrier seemed on the verge of melting.
"Hisss…!"
Inside the barrier, Serperior gritted its teeth, struggling with all its might to maintain the shield. Yet the scorching heat had already begun to seep through, licking at its body as if it, too, might melt into the flames.
"Hold on, Serperior! Frenzy Plant!"
Watching the deadlock unfold, Rosa clenched her fists tightly. She had already issued her next command, counting on her partner to push through the blast.
"Chyaaahh!!"
As if responding to her voice, a flash of emerald light shimmered across Serperior's sleek form.
Overgrow was forcibly triggered!
In the next instant, the protective shield vanished. Towering reinforced vines burst from the ground, slamming straight into Ursaluna's body.
"Endure it!!"
Just as Ursaluna was about to be blown back by the overwhelming attack, Paul gave his command.
Still wreathed in flame and charged from its Giga Impact, Ursaluna activated Endure.
Immediately, the abnormal status converted into sheer power surging into Ursaluna's body. The reinforced vines shattered upon impact, and Ursaluna barreled through—slamming headfirst into Serperior.
"BOOM!!"
"Ursaaah!"
Another blast shook the field. Before the smoke could even rise, Ursaluna let out a bellow that blew the haze clear, revealing the outcome.
There it stood: Ursaluna, who ever since its evolution had fought mostly on all fours, was now upright on its hind legs, panting heavily before the unconscious Serperior.
The savage crimson gleam in its eyes had faded—but the ruthless, primal ferocity hadn't left. On the contrary, the aura it now radiated was vastly different, leagues beyond what it had displayed just moments before.
There was no telling what this seemingly slow-witted bear might do next. Would it calm down, or would it erupt in fury once more?
"They're insanely strong… These two Trainers. That battle was unreal."
"I know, right? I bet even if I sent in all my Pokémon at once, I wouldn't last a minute."
"They're already this powerful at such a young age. Are we looking at the next Red or Blue-level legend?"
"Wouldn't be surprised…"
"…"
At some point, a large crowd of tourists and Trainers had gathered around the battlefield. Now that the clash had ended, they couldn't help but murmur among themselves in awe.
"Not bad, your power has grown."
A faint, nearly imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of Paul's mouth.
After countless hours of intensive training and high-stakes battles, most of his Pokémon were already just a hair's span away from the Elite Four tier—the benchmark of true mastery.
That was why, through carefully organized battles and relentless pressure, he could trigger their latent potential and push them beyond that final point.
There's an old saying: Below the level of the Elite Four, all Trainers were just nobody.
Until you reach the strength of an Elite-level Trainer, you'll never understand just how terrifying a Pokémon's full power can truly be.
Just like now, Ursaluna had finally broken through after that explosive moment. Its strength had fully ascended… reaching Elite Four class.
Even more astonishing, Ursaluna had awakened an incredible flame from within.
"Has the hidden ability in your body awakened?" Paul muttered to himself.
Every Pokémon harbors a hidden elemental force deep within. This inner potential is typically only accessed through the move Hidden Ability, but Ursaluna had just unleashed its fire-type affinity without ever having learned the move.
And what's more, the fire was far stronger than expected. Far stronger than what Hidden Ability alone could normally draw out.
"Maybe there's something to explore here..." A new idea flickered in Paul's mind.
He'd never imagined Hidden Ability could be developed to this extent. Now that he knew it was possible, he was already planning how to refine and weaponize this latent force. If harnessed properly, it could make his Pokémon not only stronger but far more versatile in battle.
"Return, Serperior. You've done more than enough."
Rosa called out, recalling her Serperior with a flash of light as it disappeared back into its Poké Ball.
"Ursaah~"
Ursaluna, now standing tall on its hind legs, lumbered back to Paul's side with an awry grin on its face.
Ever since its evolution, Ursaluna had relied primarily on crawling due to its bulk and build. But this latest battle had not only elevated its strength, it seemed to have sparked a new perspective on upright fighting.
"Chaah!"
From nearby, Samurott turned its crimson eyes toward Ursaluna with a nod of approval. It lightly stroked the blade-like edges of its legs and stepped forward with a gleam of challenge.
After its own breakthrough to the Elite Four level, Samurott had once defeated Ursaluna in a match… but that was due to a significant gap in power.
Now that their strength had evened out, it was time for a fair rematch.
"Ursaah!"
Ursaluna pounded its chest with both forepaws, the fire of battle blazing in its eyes.
"Well done."
Paul praised quietly, then shifted his attention to Rosa.
"I've reviewed some of your previous matches," he said bluntly. "To be honest, they were a bit… extreme."
"You tend to dominate unless your opponent tailors a counter-strategy against you. But once they do? Your win rate drops—drastically."
"It doesn't look like you've improved that much."
Serperior had been a prime example—light on its feet, lightning-fast, evasive to an astonishing degree.
But the fact remained: it lacked aerial movement or any means of remaining airborne. As long as her opponent kept spamming Earthquake or Stomping Tantrum, Serperior was inevitably going to get hit.
Even more importantly, speed alone wasn't invincible. With the right counters, it could be neutralized surprisingly easily.
"Ah, so you figured it out."
Rosa let out a small sigh, shaking her head with a trace of helplessness.
"Refining your own battle style and strategies is a must for any Trainer. You still have a long way to go."
To Paul, Rosa still seemed rather inexperienced.
"That line sounds oddly familiar... but yeah, we'll keep working at it."
"Next time, I hope you'll be able to push me a bit harder."
Without another word, Paul withdrew his two Pokémon into their Poké Balls, then summoned his Garchomp. Hurdling smoothly onto its back, he directed it toward Metallica Island across the sea.
"Such a cold guy. Let's see just how strong you really are."
Still standing on the beach, Rosa paused in thought then released her Swanna. She climbed onto its back and followed after Paul, soaring toward Metallica Island.
Unfortunately, Garchomp's flight speed while carrying a passenger was in a whole different league. Within moments, Paul and his dragon had vanished beyond the horizon, far out of sight.
Luckily, the island had its own Pokémon Center. At this hour, even if Paul wanted to challenge Spenser, it was likely Spenser would refuse a battle.
After taking some extra time to arrive, Rosa eventually spotted Paul again inside the Pokémon Center's dining area, calmly eating his dinner.
"Wow, you're fast. Were you deliberately trying to ditch me, or did you just not see me?"
She handed her Poké Balls to Nurse Joy, then grabbed a meal and sat down across from him with her tray.
"I never look back, let alone wait for someone who can't catch up to me."
Paul's reply was calm, almost indifferent, as he continued his meal.
"...You really are something else..."
That single line from him was enough to render Rosa speechless. It took her a while to recompose herself before she finally asked:
"You're planning to challenge Spenser tomorrow, right? Mind if I watch?"
Paul hadn't said anything directly, but she could already tell he had come here for a showdown with one of the Frontier Brains.
She knew from experience that if Spenser's team had just a little more type advantage over hers, she definitely wouldn't have won their match.
She was curious just how far could Paul go against him?
"Do whatever you want. I don't care."
Paul swallowed the last bite of his meal, picked up his empty plate, and walked off without another word.
Rosa frowned. "What's with you…?"
She just couldn't understand him. She wasn't only a powerful Trainer, she was also a radiant, youthful beauty.
Most people paid more attention to her looks and figure than to her battle skills. But with Paul, it was the exact opposite.
Before he defeated her, he was at least civil. But after the loss… he couldn't even be bothered to look her in the eye.
The whole situation was starting to chip away at her confidence.
(End of Chapter)
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