"Venusaur, enter Growth Mode." Spenser commanded.
After witnessing the intense battle between Red and Leon before, Spenser had trained his Venusaur to emulate Red's battle techniques.
"Venaar~!"
Venusaur gave a nod and began to root itself to the ground, channeling power to rapidly boost its strength.
Normally, in an outdoor battle, Spenser wouldn't resort to this tactic. But indoors? This strategy was undeniably effective.
"Swords Dance, Outrage, Dragon Claw, Fire Fang, Dragon Rush—go!"
Paul called out a string of moves without hesitation.
With each command, Garchomp grew more intense, its aura deepening as different elemental energies began to shimmer around its body.
"Venaaar~"
As Paul gave the signal, Garchomp suddenly surged into the air, dozens of meters high before plunging down like a spectral dragon cloaked in various light. Its wide-open maw was ablaze with searing flames.
"Frenzy Plant!"
"Venaaar!"
Venusaur stood its ground like an immovable mountain. With a mere thought, countless thorny vines erupted from the arena floor, forming a vast net aimed to ensnare Garchomp like barbed whips lashing out in every direction.
"Gaaar~!"
But the monstrous forest of vines was torn apart as Garchomp carved through it with sheer power.
No matter how tough or flexible the plants were, they couldn't stop Garchomp. Flames incinerated them, claws shredded them.
The dragon-shaped Garchomp rampaged through the verdant assault, crashing through the battlefield—and within seconds, it was right on top of Venusaur.
BOOM!
The collision echoed like an explosion, a shockwave erupting in every direction.
But amid the dust and pressure, Venusaur could still be seen standing, barely protected by a shimmering barrier of Protect.
"Vine Whip, restrain it!"
From beneath Venusaur's enormous flower, more than a dozen vines lashed out, snapping toward Garchomp from all directions in an attempt to hold it down.
"Fire Blast! Fire Fang!"
As Garchomp hesitated, wondering whether to dodge or go all-in, Paul's voice rang out clearly in its mind.
As the founder of the Infinite Growth Counterplay, Paul knew exactly what this strategy demanded—precision, speed, and ruthlessness.
Strike fast. Strike accurately. Strike with overwhelming force.
The goal was to finish the battle before the opponent had time to grow stronger, to eliminate all uncertainty at the root.
No holding back. Go all out.
Garchomp didn't hesitate. It unleashed a burst of explosive fire aimed straight at Venusaur, charging in close behind the flames. Twin Dragon Claws slashed down from opposing angles, targeting both sides of Venusaur's massive head, while Garchomp's fangs blazing with Fire Fang, sank mercilessly into Venusaur's face.
It's super effective!
Every attack hit its mark with deadly accuracy, instantly dealing massive damage.
However, before Garchomp could pursue its advantage, it felt its body seize up—neck, limbs, and torso bound tightly by Venusaur's thick Vine Whips. A sickly, venomous cloud burst forth from Venusaur's body—Toxic. The purple haze engulfed Garchomp, and the venom rapidly infiltrated its system, inflicting badly poisoned status.
"Venaaar!!"
Yet despite the bind and the poisonous assault, Garchomp made no sound. It didn't even flinch. Instead, Venusaur, attempting to fling Garchomp away, cried out in pain.
Because Garchomp... hadn't let go.
Ever since that first Fire Fang landed, its flaming jaws had clamped onto Venusaur's face like a vice. It was refusing to release its bite, clearly intending to drag Venusaur down with it.
The Garchomp family were known for their ferocious bites regardless of evolutionary stage. Even though a fully evolved Garchomp typically used its claws and speed rather than its jaws, it didn't mean those jaws had gotten any weaker.
Once it sank its fangs into prey, it wouldn't let go—unless one side was knocked out or it chose to stop of its own will. And that wasn't happening here.
The Fire Fang wasn't the only attack in play anymore. Garchomp's internal fire spread its whole body ignited with blistering heat. The flames began crawling from its mouth to the rest of its frame, scorching the vines wrapped around it. The burning backlash now surged back toward Venusaur, setting it aflame and increasing the pressure.
"Synthesis!"
Seeing the situation escalating, Spenser shouted a command in desperation.
"Vena... saur!"
Venusaur gritted its teeth through the agony, trying to activate Synthesis, channeling the healing power of sunlight.
But the moment Garchomp noticed Venusaur's body begin to glow with that reflective white light... it went mad.
It began violently thrashing, struggling with primal fury. The sheer pressure from its jaws alone disrupted Venusaur's focus, completely preventing Synthesis from activating.
"Then... Leaf Storm!"
If healing was out of the question, then there was only one choice left—go all in.
Most of Venusaur's attacks couldn't be executed properly due to Garchomp's relentless assault and proximity. Only Leaf Storm had the potential to turn the tide.
With gritted resolve, Venusaur channeled all its remaining strength into unleashing the storm—summoning a violent vortex of slicing leaves, engulfing both itself and Garchomp in a whirlwind of razor-sharp blades.
Garchomp, caught in the storm, was dragged from all sides enduring the full brunt of the storm's fury.
"Sandstorm. Twister."
But the moment didn't last long.
Though the moment was brief, the tide of battle shifted the instant Paul's voice rang out, Leaf Storm began to behave strangely.
A bizarre sandstorm surged to life. Grains of sand each about the size of a pebble, swirled into the heart of the Leaf Storm, dulling its power. The twister wasn't destroyed from within, but the interference clearly weakened its force.
The clash seemed to be in a deadlock, but whose favor the situation tilted toward was still uncertain.
"Rrrraahh!"
A deep, guttural roar suddenly burst from the eye of the Leaf Storm.
In the next instant, streaks of white light slashed through the whirlwind. The storm was torn apart, revealing a battered Venusaur and more shockingly, a Mega-Evolved Garchomp who had somehow transformed without anyone noticing.
Toxic smoke coiled around Garchomp's body, yet his aura was unfazed—if anything, more menacing than ever. His twin blade-like arms gleamed with bloodlust.
Without hesitation, Garchomp raised both scythes high, then brought them crashing down in a final ruthless slash. Venusaur was pulled and sent flying across the battlefield.
Garchomp stood victorious.
He said nothing. Silent and grim-faced, his crimson eyes glowed with intensity. He lowered his stance slightly, embedding both scythes into the ground ready to lunge again at a moment's notice.
The will to battle surged violently from him, unrelenting and primal.
"He actually won… by brute force and dirty tactics?"
Though this round had concluded, Rosa was more confused than ever.
In the first match, Paul's Drapion had barely managed to take down the powerful Lapras in a mutual knockout.
But this second round? Garchomp's performance felt downright brutal—almost underhanded.
Never mind the fact that Paul had somehow Mega Evolved Garchomp without anyone noticing, what really shocked Rosa was how Garchomp had immediately gone in for a vicious clash at the start, refusing to let go of Venusaur and dragging the match into a damage-trading death spiral.
This was supposed to be a high-level tournament!
A battle between top-tier Trainers!
Shouldn't it be a contest of refined technique? A clash of strength and strategy?
Shouldn't the battlefield be a grand, awe-inspiring stage?
Well—it was awe-inspiring, all right.
But what stunned the audience wasn't elegance or tactics, it was the sheer ruthlessness of the fight. It felt like watching a thug brawl in a back alley.
And the worst part?
Even without Mega Evolution, Venusaur still might have lost.
That baffled Rosa more than anything.
Why did it turn out this way?
She found herself lost in deep thought.
But the battle itself would not pause for a mere bystander's confusion.
"Return, Venusaur. You did great."
Spenser recalled his Venusaur and turned his gaze toward Garchomp, whose body was still laced with toxic vapors. Without flinching, he pulled out his final Poké Ball and threw it.
"Claydol, battle ready!"
Claydol, a Ground/Psychic-type Pokémon, had a jet-black body etched with strange symbols and multiple glaring eyes sprouting from the top, an unsettling sight to behold.
From the moment it appeared, Claydol hovered silently above the battlefield, swaying ever so slightly.
Paul, who had studied this Claydol thoroughly in advance, issued a command without hesitation:
"Lock-On!"
"Claaaay—!"
Garchomp focusing its bloodlust, instantly channeled all its killing intent toward Claydol, locking it in its sights with unrelenting intensity.
In this state, should Claydol attempt to flee, its movement would be noticeably hindered. And as long as it remained within range, Garchomp would be able to sense its location immediately no matter where it tried to hide.
"Calm Mind."
Noting that Garchomp hadn't attacked right away, Spenser gave a calm counter-command, a slight smile on his face.
Claydol's many eyes flickered with a mysterious hypnotic light as it began influencing itself, subconsciously suggesting it was just as strong as its opponent. Its aura grew stronger as both its Special Attack and Special Defense rose in tandem.
Despite the gap in raw power with Calm Mind in effect, Claydol could now slightly suppress Garchomp's offensive momentum.
"Now go!"
Raging with bloodlust, Garchomp had long since been ready to strike. The moment Paul gave the word, it vanished from its position, reappearing in front of Claydol in a flash and swinging its claws—Dragon Claw gleaming with deadly force.
"Teleport."
But Claydol had been prepared. The air around it shimmered, warping space as it vanished and reappeared dozens of meters away.
Thanks to Lock-On, Garchomp detected its new position instantly. Without missing a beat, it adjusted its trajectory and launched into a ferocious Dragon Rush.
"Teleport again."
As expected, the attack missed once more. Claydol had teleported again, but this time instead of creating distance, it reappeared directly behind Garchomp.
"Zen Headbutt!"
Seizing the opportunity, Claydol charged, its head glowing with a bluish-purple aura and rammed toward Garchomp's exposed back.
But it lasted only a split second.
Garchomp, reacting on instinct with its heightened battlefield awareness, twisted its body mid-strike—Dragon Claw spinning behind it like twin scythes. Two green-glowing blades crashed against Claydol's head.
"Boom!"
Despite having stat boosts that should've put it on equal footing, Claydol was thrown back by the counterattack. Two distinct slashes now marked its body.
"How? Don't tell me… he's been using Swords Dance all along?"
Spenser narrowed his eyes, his realization now dawning.
"Claydol! Keep Calm Mind active! Teleport! Fire a Hyper Beam!"
Once again, Claydol vanished in an instant using Teleport to narrowly avoid the relentless pursuit of Garchomp. The moment it reappeared, both of its floating arms raised, twin beams of searing orange light erupted forward.
But at this point in the battle, such beams no longer fazed Garchomp. With a casual swipe of its claws, the Hyper Beam blasts were shattered into particles of light, utterly ineffective.
"End this quickly. Draco Meteor!"
Paul knew the deepening violet cast cloaking Garchomp's body was a warning. His ace couldn't hold out much longer.
With a roar toward the heavens, Garchomp gathered a molten sphere of energy in its mouth and launched it skyward. It erupted above, bursting into a downpour of blazing meteors that rained toward the battlefield.
As the barrage ended, Garchomp remained still but it was charging up, storing the very last of its strength for a final decisive strike.
"Rapid Spin! Now!"
Claydol's body began spinning at high velocity, creating a violent cyclone of air around it, a natural shield. Enhanced by Calm Mind's boosted power, this defense was just enough to endure the wrath of the falling Draco Meteor.
But the moment the meteors collided with Claydol—
Garchomp moved.
Once more cloaked in the phantom figure of a mighty azure dragon, Garchomp lunged forward, tearing through the air in a blur.
Right as Claydol shattered the final meteor with its spin, Garchomp was already upon it. Emerald energy gleamed from its blade-like arms, followed by a crimson glow of sheer destructive force. A dual slash—one Dragon Claw and one Night Slash, came crashing down with colossal power.
"Boom!"
A thunderous impact rang out. Claydol's body was sent hurtling like a meteorite, crashing down from the skies to the battlefield below.
"Dragon Pulse! Follow with Dragon Rush! Finish it!!"
Even after the devastating strike, the dragon aura surrounding Garchomp had not dispersed. With a mighty twist, the phantom dragon shifted course diving toward the fallen Claydol. Garchomp opened its maw, firing a multicolored wave of energy—Dragon Pulse that slammed directly into Claydol's body.
"Kaboom!!"
The explosion shook the entire stadium. A flourish cloud of dust and smoke rose high into the air, obscuring all vision of the battlefield's center.
But the haze didn't last long.
"GAAAAR!!"
Five seconds later, a deafening Draconic Roar pierced the smoke echoing in every direction. A shockwave of energy like a cutting gale ripped outward, dispersing the fog completely.
At the center stood Garchomp.
Towering, defiant, primal.
A massive dragon-shaped aura shimmered faintly behind it, one that only surfaced when Garchomp went all-out. As the pressure intensified and peaked, the dragon behind it dissolved, merging seamlessly into Garchomp's core.
For a fleeting moment, Garchomp's presence was deep like standing before the edge of a bottomless chasm.
Then it faded. Calm returned.
As the blinding white light faded, Garchomp having reverted from Mega Evolution, stood strong—its power clearly stabilized at the Elite Four tier.
It was clear that one day, when Garchomp could seamlessly switch between its Mega Evolution and base form, and consistently unleash its full power to summon that dragon-shaped aura on command, it would ascend to Champion level—or perhaps even Master Class.
Garchomp had truly carved out its own path to becoming a powerhouse.
"Oh… seems like this old man's been beaten." Spenser said with a chuckle, gently stroking his beard as he recalled his unconscious Claydol back into its Poké Ball.
Before him stood a seemingly invincible Garchomp, radiating overwhelming power.
"Wh-what just happened…?" Rosa, who was watching the battle couldn't accept it. This wasn't what she expected at all.
In her mind, the battle should've been far more even Paul should've been backed into a corner, only managing to win by expending every ounce of effort… or at least by using some brilliant strategy to barely outmaneuver Spenser.
But reality had flipped her expectations upside down. Setting aside the previous matchups involving Drapion and Lapras, Spenser's other two Pokémon had been simultaneously defeated by Garchomp alone, even though they were technically of a higher level. And it wasn't even done with finesse or clever tactics—just sheer force.
This was a Frontier Brain, for Arceus' sake! How was Paul overpowering him in such a brute-force cross-tier battle?
What was someone like her, who could barely scrape together over-tier wins, supposed to do after watching this?
"Every effort makes you stronger." Paul said, patting Garchomp's shoulder as it walked up to him after its breakthrough.
"Every time you give it your all, you come back tougher."
"Gaaaar…"
Garchomp puffed out its chest proudly, and about to let out a victorious growl—
Only to suddenly crumple to the ground in pain, its face contorted as venom surged through its body.
Without entering its bloodline-enhanced or draconic battle state, Garchomp's pain tolerance still hadn't reached its peak.
"You stupid… here." Paul sighed, took out a Pecha Berry and placing it in Garchomp's mouth.
"Gaaar…"
As it chewed, the poison inside its system was swiftly neutralized, and Garchomp's strained expression began to relax.
"Return and rest for now."
Paul retrieved it into its Poké Ball and looked up, only to see Spenser approaching him.
"That was a magnificent battle." Spenser said sincerely.
"You and your Pokémon climbed a new peak today, and showed true courage in the process. You've more than earned this Symbol of Spirit."
He held out the Frontier Symbol in his hand.
"Thank you." Paul accepted it with a slight bow, then turned and walked away.
Rosa silently watched him leave—she didn't run after him, didn't call out. She simply gripped the Poké Ball in her hand tightly.
Just before leaving the palace grounds, Paul paused and turned to glance back at her.
He nodded, nothing more, nothing less and continued on without another word. Everything that needed to be said had already been said.
His goal was no longer to surpass the other trainers who had once journeyed alongside him. That chapter of his life was long behind him.
Now, his sights were set on a far greater summit: ascending the Masters Eight, challenging the legendary Red, and proving himself as the strongest Trainer in this world.
If he didn't make it this time, then it would be the next. And if not the next, then the one after that.
No matter what, his journey would never stop.
(End of Chapter)
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